Lockdown brings respite to asthma patients as pollution level goes down

Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) [India], May 1 : Dr DN Kesarwani, a chest physician, has said that patients of respiratory diseases are facing less problems during the lockdown as the pollution level has gone down.
"During March and April, problems faced by patients of respiratory diseases usually increase due to change in weather. However, due to lockdown, pollution levels have come down. There is a decrease in cases of cough and cold," Dr Kesarwani told ANI.
"When I talk to the patients, some of them say that they have stopped taking medicines and are not facing any problem. Those, who used to take medicines regularly, are now not doing that. Lockdown has decreased these cases now," he added.
PC Gupta, a patient of asthma, said: "I have been a patient of asthma for a long time. Ever since lockdown started, there has been a change in the weather condition. Now I have stopped taking medicine. I often go for a walk on the roof. Somewhere I have realised that the difficulty I was facing in breathing due to pollution is over."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on March 24 announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19. The lockdown was later extended to May 3.