{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,30]],"date-time":"2026-09-30T13:53:49Z","timestamp":1790776429134,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,30]],"date-time":"2021-08-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1630281600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JPM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess the hospitalization rates for acute exacerbations of asthma and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) during the first imposed lockdown in Athens, Greece. Patient characteristics and the concentration of eight air pollutants [namely, NO (nitrogen monoxide), NO2 (nitrogen dioxide), CO (carbon monoxide), PM2.5 (particulate matter 2.5), PM10 (particulate matter 10), O3 (ozone), SO2 (sulfur dioxide) and benzene] were considered. A total of 153 consecutive hospital admissions were studied. Reduced admissions occurred in the Lockdown period compared to the Pre-lockdown 2020 (p &lt; 0.001) or the Control 2019 (p = 0.007) period. Furthermore, the concentration of 6\/8 air pollutants positively correlated with weekly hospital admissions in 2020 and significantly decreased during the lockdown. Finally, admitted patients for asthma exacerbation during the lockdown were younger (p = 0.046) and less frequently presented respiratory failure (p = 0.038), whereas patients with COPD presented higher blood eosinophil percentage (p = 0.017) and count (p = 0.012). Overall, admissions for asthma and COPD exacerbations decreased during the lockdown. This might be partially explained by reduction of air pollution during this period while medical care avoidance behavior, especially among elderly patients cannot be excluded. Our findings aid in understanding the untold impact of the pandemic on diseases beyond COVID-19, focusing on patients with obstructive diseases.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm11090867","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,30]],"date-time":"2021-08-30T22:49:51Z","timestamp":1630363791000},"page":"867","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":16,"title":["Effect of COVID-19-Related Lockdown \u03bfn Hospital Admissions for Asthma and COPD Exacerbations: Associations with Air Pollution and Patient Characteristics"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Ioanna","family":"Sigala","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Failure Department, First ICU, Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilandou 45-7, 10676 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Timoleon","family":"Giannakas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Vassilis G.","family":"Giannakoulis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7355-2285","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Efthimios","family":"Zervas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratory of Technology and Policy of Energy and Environment, School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Parodos Aristotelous 18, 26335 Patra, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aikaterini","family":"Brinia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Niki","family":"Gianiou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Failure Department, First ICU, Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilandou 45-7, 10676 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andreas","family":"Asimakos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Failure Department, First ICU, Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilandou 45-7, 10676 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Efi","family":"Dima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Failure Department, First ICU, Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilandou 45-7, 10676 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ioannis","family":"Kalomenidis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Failure Department, First ICU, Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilandou 45-7, 10676 Athens, Greece"},{"name":"Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8736-619X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paraskevi","family":"Katsaounou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pulmonary and Respiratory Failure Department, First ICU, Evangelismos Hospital, Ipsilandou 45-7, 10676 Athens, Greece"},{"name":"Medical School, National Kapodistrian University of Athens, 10679 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,8,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"127","DOI":"10.3109\/02770903.2013.846369","article-title":"Types, frequency and impact of asthma triggers on patients\u2019 lives: A quantitative study in five European countries","volume":"51","author":"Price","year":"2013","journal-title":"J. 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