Allergy patients to have barometer to follow
Updated: 2011-06-29 09:59
By Guan Xiaomeng (chinadaily.com.cn)
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Allergy sufferers will have a "weather forecast" tailored to them as China's first allergy index forecast was launched on Tuesday aiming to help allergic patients conquer the symptoms to live a more comfortable life.
The index monitoring and forecast program, named XSM Allergy Index and co-initiated by the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) and Xi'an-Janssen Pharmaceutical Ltd, who produce anti-allergy medicines, is a free public service that will provide daily information on the likelihood of various allergens and protection guidance to limit their effects on www.chinaweather.com.cn.
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An allergy is a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system triggered by normally harmless environmental substances such as pollen and dust. Statistics show that 23 percent of Chinese aging from 18-64 have suffered from skin allergies or hay fever. Some of the serious sufferers have to stay indoors in spring and summer when flowers blossom.
Duan Li, the Chief Service Officer of Public Weather at the CMA, said the index includes five degrees, ranging from one, indicating no chance of allergies, to five, indicating a strong chance of allergies. Also, some protection tips are added in the forecast such as "wear a mask" or "use a maximum SPF X sun cream".
According to Duan, the service covers 2,348 first and second-tier cities nationwide and forecasts three times daily at 8 am, 12pm and 8 pm.
Beijing now has a pollution index forecast indentifying each of the districts in downtown?and suburb areas?of the municipality. But the allergy index is not yet that specific.
"We have different plants and various allergens in different areas and times in Beijing so it is hard to work out a very concrete forecast," Duan told chinadaily.com.cn. "Now we have only one allergy monitoring station in Beijing but the forecast will be improving as more index samples are taken."