Colorado’s “September epidemic” of asthma attacks is expected to return after two relatively quiet years as almost all kids are back in school now and, in most cases, without masks.
For some people with asthma, viruses that infect the upper respiratory tract may be a trigger, in the same way that pollen, pollution or strenuous exercise can be, said Dr. Carah Santos, an allergist and immunologist at National Jewish Health in Denver.
Typically, there’s an increase in people needing care for severe asthma attacks in the fall as kids go back to school, but that didn’t happen in 2020 and 2021, she said.
“We certainly saw that it was much more quiet,” she said.
More people sought help for asthma exacerbations this spring and summer than would be typical for that time of year, though not as many as in an average fall, Santos said. She expects the usual fall pattern to restart again this year.