Prescriptions for children during the pandemic fell by more than 25 percent.

“If we don’t slow down the cycle, pollen production will only get worse.”

Harvard researchers wanted to see if increases in emergency department visits for respiratory illnesses among older adults happened in the days surrounding thunderstorms because vulnerable groups and those with common chronic respiratory disease may be able to take steps to prevent worsening. The study in JAMA Internal Medicine found thunderstorms are linked with an average of 3,700 emergency department visits annually in the U.S. among seniors with respiratory illnesses, including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They collected the data from 1999 through 2012 in more than 3,000 counties and looked at emergency department visits due to respiratory conditions in older patient populations in the days before and after thunderstorms. They found an uptick of ER visits of those with asthma and COPD on the day before thunderstorms. You can find the full study here.

DETROIT – If you have asthma, you are likely at a higher risk of becoming “very sick” from COVID-19, according to the CDC. Here are the guidelines from the CDC for those with Asthma:Risk of Getting COVID-19People with asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19. COVID-19 can affect your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs), cause an asthma attack, and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease. TreatmentThere is currently no specific treatment for or vaccine to prevent COVID-19. During a COVID-19 outbreak in your community, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.