Mumbai’s air quality has been recently fluctuating between ‘poor’, ‘satisfactory’ and ‘moderate’. That isn’t helping people who have issues with breathing. Dr Lancelot Pinto, consultant pulmonologist and epidemiologist at P.D Hinduja Hospital & MRC says asthma patients, especially those whose condition is not well-controlled by the regular use of inhalers, have been reporting increased shortness of breath, wheezing and cough when the Air Quality Index (AQI) worsens. AQI is a system used by government agencies to report the daily quality of air. 

Every year, World Asthma Day is observed on the first Tuesday of May by the Global Initiative for Asthma to raise awareness about the breathing condition and care for it around the world. This year, it will be celebrated on May 3 around the world. In Mumbai, as city dwellers tackle the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, they also have to deal with the increasing pollution in the city. While it is manageable for some, it can be quite a task for those suffering from asthma.