Updates in Respiratory Diseases

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are significant public health burdens. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) currently more than 25 million people in the United States have asthma. Approximately 14.8 million adults have been diagnosed with COPD, and approximately 12 million people have not yet been diagnosed. The burden of respiratory diseases affects individuals and their families, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, cities, and states. Because of the cost to the health care system, the burden of respiratory diseases also falls on society. Annual health care expenditures for asthma alone are estimated at $20.7 billion. With the advent of COVID-19 there are even more dimensions to these ailments. The goal of the 2020 Fall Distance Learning Experience is to provide updates for a variety of respiratory ailments.