There was a sixfold increase in emergency calls and hospital admissions and almost 2,000 people were affected by the rare phenomenon of “thunder asthma”.
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When it rains or is humid, pollen grains can absorb moisture and burst, releasing hundreds of small allergenic particles that can penetrate deep into the small airways of the lung.
Earlier today the family of a 20-year-old woman who died during the thunderstorm asthma event said patients should be told if an ambulance is delayed so they can drive to hospital themselves.
It’s a baffling situation, as CBC News noted that some of the sufferers never had any attacks in the past. These tiny allergenic particles can cause an acute asthmatic attack in people with hay fever, even those who haven’t experienced an asthma attack before.
Government agencies, pollen scientists and the Bureau of Meteorology are meeting on Thursday to discuss Monday’s unprecedented event, which overwhelmed emergency services and hospitals.
All deaths related to thunderstorm asthma are now being investigated and at least eight more individuals remain in intensive care from the illness.
He added the amount of pollen in the air on Monday was much higher than usual and that the thunderstorm had made this high count particularly risky. A 2008 study that looked at emergency room visits in Atlanta over a 10-year period found that there were 3 percent more visits for asthma on days following thunderstorms.
Ambulance Victoria has said the incident caused an “extraordinary and unpredictable increase in demand” for its services, with 200 triple-0 calls coming in during the 15 minutes from 7pm, where they would normally expect 30 calls. A lot of the populace said that they had not a hint of asthma since childhood but suffered asthmatic attacks during the incident. “I can only speculate, but I think it was caused by the huge amount of irritants and pollen in the air”, he said.
Hope Carnevali, 20, a law student, died in the front garden of her home after a 30-minute wait for an ambulance. The declaration was due to the casualties it had and the number of patients that were hospitalized that were respiratory related problems.
Hospitals were inundated with more than 1000 people seeking help on Monday night after the sudden change in weather triggered respiratory problems in people across the city.
The event was a timely reminder of the need to continue investing in the health and ambulance system, he said.
Ambulance managers say the proposed pay deal means they would be forced to take a pay cut and would receive lower salaries than the paramedics they manage.
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“We were considering opening a second emergency department…”
