Reduced symptoms for people with respiratory conditions

The British Lung Foundation has revealed that two million people in the UK with respiratory conditions such as asthma have experienced reduced symptoms during the coronavirus lockdown.

The charity conducted a survey of 14,000 people with lung conditions and found that one in six had noticed improvements in their health, with asthma sufferers in particular reporting health benefits, with one in four noting relief. Additionally, among children, the improved health figure was higher, with one in five parents saying their child’s condition had been alleviated.

Public Health England data has also shown that the number of visits to hospital emergency departments for asthma in England have also fallen by half during lockdown, although it is not clear whether the decrease is due to a reduction in symptoms or people’s reluctance to visit hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Lung Foundation is calling for he rapid introduction of clean air zones in cities, where charges deter the use of the most polluting vehicles. A number of cities with such plans have delayed them due to the coronavirus response in their regions.

Zak Bond, of the British Lung Foundation, said: “Now, more than ever before, we have all become aware of how important it is to look after our lungs, and the government has a duty to ensure that as the country recovers from Covid-19, we can continue to keep air pollution levels down and keep pushing them lower.”

There is a well-established link between air pollution and lung disease. More than a third of local authorities in England have levels of fine particle pollution above the WHO’s limit.

Of the 12 million people in the UK who live with conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, about eight million have been diagnosed with asthma, of which 5.4 million are receiving treatment.