Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is one of the most pressing health care concerns in 2020. The continually growing number of new cases, the global outspread of the virus and the severity of the disease determined the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a pandemic.
Twenty per cent of the patients present severe and critical forms that frequently require oxygen supplementation and intensive care unit admission. That is why, to provide optimal care, it is imperative to identify at-risk patients.
Patients with associated chronic diseases are more prone to develop severe and critical forms of the infection. Although the chronic pulmonary obstructive disease is present only in a limited number of coronavirus disease 2019 patients, it is most commonly associated with lung disease and a poor outcome than other comorbidities.