Spike in Asthma Healthcare Presentations in Eastern England during June 2021: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Syndromic Surveillance Data

Abstract

Thunderstorm asthma is often characterised by a sudden surge in patients presenting with exacerbated symptoms of asthma linked to thunderstorm activity. Here, we describe a large spike in asthma and difficulty breathing symptoms observed across parts of England on 17 June 2021. The number of healthcare presentations during the asthma event was compared to expected levels for the overall population and across specific regions. Across affected geographical areas, emergency department attendances for asthma increased by 560% on 17 June compared to the average number of weekday daily attendances during the previous 4 weeks. General practitioner out of hours contacts increased by 349%, National Health Service (NHS) 111 calls 193%, NHS 111 online assessments 581% and ambulance call outs 54%. Increases were particularly noted in patient age groups 5–14 and 15–44 years. In non-affected regions, increases were small (<10%) or decreased, except for NHS 111 online assessments where there was an increase of 39%. A review of the meteorological conditions showed several localised, weak, or moderate thunderstorms specifically across parts of Southeast England on the night of June 16. In this unprecedented episode of asthma, the links to meteorologically defined thunderstorm activity were not as clear as previous episodes, with less evidence of ‘severe’ thunderstorm activity in those areas affected, prompting further discussion about the causes of these events and implications for public health management of the risk.