Real time monitoring of public health during two periods of high air pollution in the UK showed that there were an estimated 3 500 extra healthcare visits for acute respiratory symptoms and approximately 500 for severe asthma during these spells in 2014. The results of this research are presented in a new study which demonstrates the value of such ‘syndromic surveillance’ systems for exploring air quality’s effects on human health.The researchers used air quality data and data from real-time ‘syndromic surveillance’ systems to look for trends that indicated higher than expected levels of health symptoms (compared with the same period in the previous year) at times of poor air quality. Syndromic surveillance systems monitor public health by collecting and analysing daily health-related data from sources including GP surgeries, emergency departments and a medical advice telephone service run by the National Health Service.The research demonstrates the usefulness of syndromic surveillance for monitoring air pollution’s effects on the health of populations and communities.
