Melbourne has experienced a much earlier than usual start to the grass pollen season which may be indicative of more bad days for people with hay fever and asthma across the season.

Due to the increased chance of epidemic thunderstorm asthma during grass pollen season, those who suffer from asthma or hay fever should have an up-to-date asthma action plan or hay fever treatment plan. They should also learn asthma first aid and avoid storms during grass pollen season, which generally runs from the start of October until the end of December.

The DHHS epidemic thunderstorm asthma public health campaign aims to ensure that all Victorians, and in particular people with asthma and/or hay fever, are as prepared as they can be should another epidemic thunderstorm asthma event occur. The following resources are available for use by disability and other health and community services:

• DHHS thunderstorm asthma campaign resources, including posters and a brochure, are available in 15 languages
• Community information is available on the Better Health Channel
• Additional resources are available from Asthma Australia
• The Australian Asthma Handbook and a dedicated information paper on thunderstorm asthma are available from the National Asthma Council website

The epidemic thunderstorm asthma forecast will be issued throughout the grass pollen season from 1 October to 31 December 2020; via the VicEmergency website or app, the Health Vic website or the Melbourne Pollen website or app.

It is also important to note that hayfever or asthma brought on by grass pollen can bring on symptoms similar to COVID-19 such as a runny nose, cough, or shortness of breath. It is important to get tested for COVID-19 if these are different from your usual symptoms.