Previous studies have suggested that respiratory virus infections may be associated with new-onset asthma. However, whether coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with an increased risk of new-onset asthma remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether recent COVID-19 infection increases the risk of new-onset asthma and whether COVID-19 vaccination could mitigate this risk. We constructed three different study designs using the Korean National Health Insurance claim-based database: Study 1: COVID-19 diagnosed participants (COVID-19 cohort) and their matched controls; Study 2: COVID-19 vaccinated participants (vaccination cohort) and their matched controls; Study 3: vaccination cohort and their matched controls, excluding participants diagnosed with COVID-19. In Study 1, 1.6% of the COVID-19 cohort and 0.7% of the matched cohort developed new-onset asthma, with incidences of 31.28 and 14.55 per 1,000 person-years, respectively (p<0.001). COVID-19 cohort had a higher risk of new-onset asthma (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.88-2.45) than matched controls. In Study 2, vaccination cohort had a lower risk of new-onset asthma than matched controls (aHR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.76-0.89). However, among participants without a COVID-19 diagnosis, COVID-19 vaccination was not associated with a reduced risk of new-onset asthma in Study 3 (aHR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.87-1.04). In subgroup analysis, the risk of new-onset asthma was significantly lower in fully vaccinated participants and higher in older individuals and in those with diabetes mellitus compared to their counterparts. COVID-19 was associated with a higher incidence of new-onset asthma, which might be preventable by COVID-19 vaccination.

Objectives: This review presents a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving digital healthcare industry, aiming to provide a broad understanding of the recent landscape and directions for the future of digital healthcare. Methods: This review examines the key trends in sectors of the digital healthcare industry, which can be divided into four main categories: digital hardware, software solutions, platforms, and enablers. We discuss electroceuticals, wearables, standalone medical software, non-medical health management services, telehealth, decentralized clinical trials, and infrastructural systems such as health data systems. The review covers both global and domestic perspectives, addressing definitions, significance, revenue trends, major companies, regulations, and socioenvironmental factors. Results: Diverse growth patterns are evident across digital healthcare sectors. The applications of electroceuticals are expanding. Wearables are becoming more ubiquitous, facilitating continuous health monitoring and data collection. Artificial intelligence in standalone medical software is demonstrating clinical efficacy, with regulatory frameworks adapting to support commercialization. Non-medical health management services are expanding their scope to address chronic conditions under professional guidance. Telemedicine and decentralized clinical trials are gaining traction, driven by the need for flexible healthcare solutions post-pandemic. Efforts to build robust digital infrastructure with health data are underway, supported by data banks and data aggregation platforms. Conclusions: Advancements in digital healthcare create a dynamic, transformative landscape, integrating, complementing, and offering alternatives to traditional paradigms. This evolution is driven by continuous innovation, increased stakeholder participation, regulatory adaptations promoting commercialization, and supportive initiatives. Ongoing discussions about optimal digital technology integration and effective healthcare strategy implementation are essential for progress.

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways play a critical role in orchestrating the chronic inflammation and the structural changes of the airways in patients with asthma. Recently, a great deal of progress has been made in developing selective and effective PI3K-targeted therapies on the basis of a vast amount of studies on the roles of specific PI3K isoforms and fine-tuned modulators of PI3Ks in a particular disease context. In particular, the pivotal roles of delta isoform of class I PI3Ks (PI3K-δ) in CD4-positive type 2 helper T cells-dominant disorders such as asthma have been consistently reported since the early investigations. Furthermore, there has been great advancement in our knowledge of the implications of PI3K-δ in various facets of allergic inflammation. This has involved the airway epithelial interface, adaptive T and B cells, potent effector cells (eosinophils and neutrophils), and, more recently, subcellular organelles (endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria) and cytoplasmic innate immune receptors such as NLRP3 inflammasome, all of which make this PI3K isoform an important druggable target for treating asthma. Defining subpopulations of asthma patients with PI3K-δ activation, namely PI3K-δ-driven asthma endotype, may therefore provide us with a novel framework for the treatment of the disease, particularly for corticosteroid-resistant severe form, an important unresolved aspect of the current asthma management. In this review, we specifically summarize the recent advancement of our knowledge on the critical roles of PI3K-δ in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma.