WHY RESPIRATORY EXPERTS FEAR A ‘TRIPLE WHAMMY’ CRISIS
LEADING respiratory experts from the Irish Thoracic Society are warning of the impact of Covid-19 on lung health and have called for urgent action to avert unprecedented rates of excess illness and death from lung disease.
According to the society, additional resources for the diagnosis, treatment and ongoing care of people with respiratory conditions are crucial to prevent a lung disease crisis.
This is due to the potential long-term health impacts for some of those who have recovered from the acute stage of COVID-19, as well as those who are already living with a respiratory condition but who have not been able to access timely treatment and care, and who are also in the more vulnerable patient category should they contract Covid-19.
The respiratory experts are calling for greater numbers of respiratory specialists and other healthcare professionals to provide essential care in community as well as hospital settings, investment in infrastructure to ensure necessary space and isolation facilities, and the development and provision of cutting-edge technology solutions for patient care.
They say they are faced with a ‘triple whammy’ as Covid-19 is a respiratory illness that has dramatically increased the already significant burden of respiratory disease. People with existing respiratory diseases are particularly vulnerable to complications if they contract the virsus and people with new and existing respiratory diseases face delayed access to essential care due to the backlog .
Dr Aidan O’Brien, president of the Irish Thoracic Society, said: ‘It is clear that we are storing up a backlog of undiagnosed and untreated respiratory disease at a magnitude that will have untold implications for the healthcare service and for our patients in the coming months and years unless urgent action is taken.
Calling for action, he said: ‘The stark reality of delayed access to care for people with lung disease is det riorating health, reduced quality of life and, sadly, in some cases, premature death.’