Association of respiratory allergy, asthma, and expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) was recognized in December 2019 as a cause of severe pneumonia and has now led to a global pandemic.1 Respiratory illnesses caused by COVID-19 cover a range of severity. The identification of risk and protective factors for disease severity from COVID-19 is critical to direct development of new treatments and infection prevention strategies. Early large case series have identified a number of risk factors for severe disease, including older age, hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, tobacco exposure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.