Asthma does not seem to increase the risk of a person contracting COVID-19 or influence its severity, according to new research.

Researchers say further study is needed but those with the chronic respiratory disease don’t appear to be at a higher risk of getting extremely ill or dying from coronavirus.

“Older age and conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and obesity are reported risk factors for the development and progression of COVID-19,” says Reynold A. Panettieri Jr., a pulmonary critical care physician and director of the Rutgers University Institute for Translational Medicine and Science and coauthor of a paper in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

“However, people with asthma—even those with diminished lung function who are being treated to manage asthmatic inflammation—seem to be no worse affected by SARS-CoV-2 than a nonasthmatic person. There is limited data as to why this is the case—if it is physiological or a result of the treatment to manage the inflammation.”

Here, Panettieri explains what we know about asthma and COVID-19 and the important questions that remain:

How might awareness of SARS-CoV-2 affect the health of people with asthma?

Since the news has focused our attention on the effects of COVID-19 on people in vulnerable populations, those with asthma may become hyper-vigilant about personal hygiene and social distancing. Social distancing could improve asthma control since people who are self-quarantined are also not as exposed to seasonal triggers that include allergens or respiratory viruses. There is also evidence that people are being more attentive to taking their asthma medication during the pandemic, which can contribute to overall health.