Thunderstorm asthma kills two in breathing issue outbreak
Digital Reporter
Tuesday, November 22, 2016, 1:28 PM - As bizarre as its moniker may be, thunderstorm asthma is a serious health concern that's currently impacting thousands in Australia. Melbourne, dubbed a global hot spot for the phenomenon, saw two residents succumb to thunderstorm asthma following a storm late Monday, local time.
WATCH ABOVE: Radar loop shows storms taking place between 5 and 7 p.m. GMT
Though the condition is considered rare, it isn't as complex as it sounds.
"It seems that many people, perhaps 1 in 4, who suffer from seasonal allergies may also have asthma, whether they know it or not," says Weather Network meteorologist and science writer Scott Sutherland. "Strong thunderstorms can kick up a significant amount of pollen into the air, which can then trigger an asthma attack in those who are sensitive."
Ambulance Victoria received more than 1,870 calls between 7 and 11 p.m. on Monday, the BBC reports -- six times more calls than the daily average, with at least 30 in intensive care.
We've seen a rise in breathing probs tonight following the weather. Follow your asthma plan or see here for advice https://t.co/8cCHWUaVki
— Ambulance Victoria (@AmbulanceVic) November 21, 2016
The Sydney Morning Herald lists at least 30 people, including two children, to be in intensive care units. A twenty-two year old law student and an 18-year-old high school student were reportedly the two cases "where patients with respiratory symptons were unable to be revived by paramedic crews," a spokesperson for Ambulance Victoria told The Herald.
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In one circumstance, the ambulance took more than half an hour to arrive due to the high volume of calls. In the other, the ambulance arrived within 15 minutes, which was still too late, the spokesperson said.
"Our thoughts are with the families of those patients. We will carry out a full clinical review into these cases.
High demand for ambulance for breathing issues due to weather. Only call 000 in an emergency & consider other options for minor complaints
— Ambulance Victoria (@AmbulanceVic) November 21, 2016
Several took to social media to express both gratitude for emergency responders, along with surprise at the effect of weather-enhanced asthma.
A huge shout out to our ED and other hospital staff who cared for an influx of patients last night following cases of #ThunderstormAsthma pic.twitter.com/J4SNlCibc3
— St Vincent's (@StVincentsMelb) November 22, 2016
For the first time in life, I struggled to breath. Couldn't sleep all night with myriad questions. Damn! The answer is #thunderstormasthma
— Dave Krunal (@_davekrunal) November 21, 2016
Spent most of the night struggling to breathe. Who knew that #ThunderstormAsthma was a thing....
— Jim A'Hara (@dj_jimbone) November 21, 2016
Shout out to the amazing health and emergency workers across #Victoria supporting ppl with #ThunderstormAsthma - thanks 4 your dedication!
— Brendan King (@BrendanTKing) November 21, 2016
Fell asleep thinking he was overreacting, woke realising he had #thunderstormasthma 😬Massive night in Melbourne. Great work @AmbulanceVic 👏
— nekita (@Nekita_Nekita) November 21, 2016
In addition to Melbourne, Wagga Wagga and London, Australia, were also hit with a number of cases related to thunderstorm asthma.
