Achieving good asthma control is the best protection against an asthma flare-up from the coronavirus.
So says Asthma Australia, which has urged those who live with the respiratory disease to "take your preventer [medication] every day, even when well, no matter what".
"Preventers reduce the severity of asthma symptoms triggered by viruses like the coronavirus or influenza," Asthma Australia chief executive Michele Goldman said.
There was no specific data to determine if asthmatics were at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus. But a common trigger for worsening asthma symptoms were "respiratory infections such as colds and viruses".
"From the information gathered, people with a chronic medical condition like asthma may be at more risk of a serious coronavirus infection."
The organisation urged those affected to understand their asthma triggers and how to manage them.
"If you have allergies such as hay fever, ensure you are treating them."
Time.com reported that David Jackson, a consultant respiratory physician and clinical lead for asthma care at Guy's Hospital in London, said "asthma currently doesn't seem to be a significant risk factor for a more severe [coronavirus] infection".
He added that the new coronavirus does "not seem to be affecting asthmatics in the same way as other viruses generally".
Associate Professor Jay Horvat, who teaches immunology and microbiology at the University of Newcastle, said: "At this point in time, we don't know enough about it".
"You need to wait longer until we see more thorough analysis of more populations, in order to make the call as to whether asthmatics are more susceptible or not. Same thing goes for COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] patients."
He said it was important that people with asthma and other respiratory diseases "make sure they're maintaining their preventer [medication]".
"That's the best protection against the virus exacerbating their disease."
