In Pakistan, face mask shortage spells doom for allergy patients

Pollen count for Tuesday recorded at 17,254 per cubic metre of air in city

ISLAMABAD: With the world engulfed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, it has pushed patients suffering from other ailments to the side. What this means is that owing to the panic, those who suffer from pollen allergy have lost access to critical goods such as facemasks.

As spring takes hold in the federal capital, many residents start to suffer from the unpleasant sight of flowers blooming, the presence of thousands of pollen which pollute the air of the federal capital. For those who have an allergic reaction to the dust like pollen, this is one of the worst times in the year and some even have to resort to wearing face masks or seek respiratory aids at hospitals.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Tuesday recorded a pollen count of 17,254 per cubic metre (m3) of air in Sector H-8, the highest so far during this year’s spring season. PMD officials said that ever since the record of pollen in the capital was maintained, the highest ever pollen levels registered in the city was 48,080 m3 in March 2005. The second-highest level, 46,310 per cubic metre, was recorded on March 30 last year.

While Tuesday’s pollen count was far short of these records, it has already created problems for some who are allergic to pollen.

All you need to know about coronavirus testing in Pakistan

Those who are allergic are already having a hard time securing face masks owing to a shortage of the commodity in the market owing to the high demand in the wake of COVID-19.

Explaining pollen levels and impact on humans, health experts said that a pollen count of 1-114 m3 was considered to be low while 115-890 m3 was deemed as mid-range. However, pollen levels of 900-1,499 m3 or anything over 1,500 m3 were described as high.

Health experts say that the allergy symptoms include sneezing, itching, watery eyes, coughing, breathing difficulty, wheezing and asthma attacks.

PMD officials said four devices have been installed in four different sectors to record the pollen count in the air. Eight plants including paper mulberry, acacia, eucalyptus, pines, grasses, cannabis, dandelion and alternaria were blamed for high pollen level in Islamabad. Out of all these plants paper mulberry shares about 97 per cent of the total pollen count.

Precautionary methods

Health officials advised the people to use face masks, frequently wash their hands and keep doors and windows closed as a protective measure against the allergy.

PM Imran gives nation five-point advisory to contain spread of coronavirus

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) spokesperson Dr Wasim Khawaja has said that women, who suffer from topic dermatitis, should wear gloves while working in the kitchen. Those people who have tendencies to contract eye infections such as conjunctivitis may use ultraviolet (UV protected) glasses. He said that citizens should take baths and shampoo their hair daily before going to bed as this will remove pollen from their hair and skin and keep it off their bedding.

Moreover, he had stated that citizens should limit close contact with pets that spend a lot of time outdoors as their dander can aggravate allergy symptoms.

Dr Sharif Astori from Federal Government Poly Clinic (FGPC) hospital said that citizens should change and wash clothes worn during outdoor activities and suggested that they dry their clothes in a dryer, not on an outdoor line. He advised taking care of the cleanliness of rooms and taking out carpets and other linens that can catch dust or if necessary covering them with clean clothing.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2020.