Emergency services bracing for deadly thunderstorm asthma season
Emergency services are bracing for this year’s thunderstorm asthma season, with experts predicting it could be similar to 2016’s tragedy which killed several people.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Emergency services are bracing for this year’s thunderstorm asthma season, with experts predicting it could be as deadly as the 2016 event that took 10 lives and landed thousands of Victorians in hospital.
Ambulance Victoria has sounded the alarm about the looming thunderstorm asthma season, advising thousands of asthma and hayfever sufferers to get prepared now.
On November 21, 2016, thousands of Victorians developed breathing difficulties in a matter of hours after a powerful thunderstorm swept through the state.
Ten Victorians died as a result of the unprecedented weather event, which was considered the largest incident of its type ever recorded across the world.
In the 30 hours from 6pm on November 21, Melbourne and Geelong public hospitals recorded a 672 per cent increase in respiratory-related presentations.
Thunderstorm asthma occurs when high amounts of grass pollen in the air combine with a certain type of thunderstorm.
Ambulance Victoria’s Justin Dunlop on Friday warned this season would likely be as bad as 2016.
“Very soon we are going to be in that epidemic thunderstorm asthma season from the first of October,” Mr Dunlop said.
“The preceding conditions, I’m told, are very similar to what we saw in 2016, so we are certainly preparing in Ambulance Victoria for this season.
“If you have mild hay fever, a little bit of trouble breathing, go and talk to your local doctor.”
Mr Dunlop said Ambulance Victoria were preparing for a difficult spring and summer season ahead.
“We are seeing an increase from time to time (in asthma-related demand for services) but the increase in workload is not explained by shortness of breath alone at the moment,” he said.
“If you look at what’s happening in the northern hemisphere, with the terrible heatwaves that they’ve had through summer, the terrible bushfires, in particular Canada and Greece,” he said.
“We can expect to see much the same here.”
The paramedic said pressure had ramped up in the past month, noting the two code orange alerts this week.
“There has been a really busy period over the last week and in fact the last month, compared to the previous year. So yes, there have been two code oranges,” he said.
Ambulance Services Minister Gabrielle Williams, speaking alongside Mr Dunlop at the Dandenong Priority Care Centre on Friday, said warmer weather meant hospitals would be facing increased pressures.
“The weather is getting warmer, it’s school holidays, and what that can mean is a spike in demand for our ambulances and also our emergency departments,” she said.
“We are particularly well placed here in Victoria given we have established a number of alternative care pathways.”