A new online survey conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA, to examine mask-wearing experiences of asthmatic patients, found strong links between poorer asthma control and increased symptoms while wearing masks. The research, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, mapped the results of the online survey on 501 asthmatic adults to understand the problems related to mask use during Covid-19. The findings revealed that 84 percent of the participants experienced discomfort, 75 percent reported trouble breathing or shortness of breath at least sometimes while wearing a mask, even though the participants strictly adhered to mask-wearing in public. The researchers also found that the symptoms of asthma increased with an increase in the time of wearing.  The researchers, who developed a ‘Mask Effect Scale’ and measured asthma control, said that when the participants were asked to comment on their mask wearing experience instead of the survey questionnaire, 45 percent said they had problems with breathing and increased coughing, while 39 percent commented that they had no change in asthma when wearing a mask.