Falling air pollution and fewer triggers in lockdown prompts major drop in number of children needing emergency asthma treatment

Doctors welcome news but urge sufferers to seek treatment for their symptoms as lockdown restrictions ease and exposure to triggers rises, reports Mike Waites

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The numbers of children needing emergency treatment for asthma has plummeted since lockdown began, according to new figures.

The fall, contributing to an overall drop in asthma cases among all patients of around a half, is being linked to cuts in air pollution and less exposure to triggers for the illness as people stay at home.

Latest snapshot figures used by Public Health England to monitor emergency attendances at around 70 hospitals across the country show numbers of asthma patients seeking treatment for the illness have fallen by around half since lockdown began in March compared to the same period last year.