As thick smoke blanketed Metro Detroit on Thursday from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota, health officials are urging residents to take precautions.
Dr. Avani Sheth, chief medical health officer for Wayne County Health, Human and Veterans Services, on Thursday said the best way for residents to protect themselves is to stay indoors in air conditioning, keep windows closed, reduce outdoor activity and check the Air Quality Index before going outside.
“Wildfire smoke at these levels is unhealthy for everyone, and the added heat can place even greater stress on the body,” Sheth said in a press release.
The air quality in southern Michigan reached levels so toxic Thursday morning that it was considered an “emergency condition” by federal environmental officials.
The conditions will last through Friday, according to a Thursday morning update from Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy meteorologists. How long it persists after that is “the big question,” they said.
Wayne County Public Health said warm temperatures are also expected on Thursday. It noted that the combination of heat and wildfire smoke can place additional stress on the body, particularly for older adults, young children, people with chronic medical conditions, outdoor workers and anyone without access to air conditioning.
Dr. David Donaldson, Emergency Center chief for Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, said in a statement that his hospital has experienced an uptick in patients presenting with respiratory complaints, especially those with underlying lung diseases such as asthma and COPD.
“Individuals with these conditions should consider staying indoors and avoiding unnecessary outdoor exposure to help reduce the risk of symptom flare-ups,” he said.
Dr. Christian Nageotte, the service chief of allergy and immunology at Henry Ford West Bloomfield, said that anytime the AQI is above 100 could pose significant risk for healthy patients and especially for vulnerable patients, including those with asthma, COPD, pregnant women, older adults and some very young children. An AQI exceeding 300 — it reached ___ on ____ — becomes “a significant health issue” for those patients, he said.
Who is most impacted by wildfire smoke?
Sensitive groups or those with other underlying conditions are likely most affected by the smoke. That includes those 65 and up, those with asthma and people with cardiovascular disease.
Smoke exposure can trigger severe breathing responses in people with lung diseases.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, children up to 18 are also at greater risk of smoke-related health effects, because their lungs are still growing.
“In addition, compared to adults, they are more likely to be exposed to smoke because they spend more time outdoors,” according to the EPA. “Children also engage in more vigorous activity and inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults, both of which affect the dose of smoke they experience and their risk of a health effect.”
What should people do to stay safe?
Any unnecessary activity certainly should be postponed — sports events, outdoor concerts, even walking should be postponed in these circumstances. When the air quality exceeds 300, it really should be something that you’re making quick dashes from your home to your car, or from your car to the grocery store if needed. You should try to wear some form of covering over the nose and mouth, and that would be the what we used to do for COVID times. The N95 masks are the preferred. We really see that cloth masks or bandanas don’t help in this kind of air quality. The particulate matter is so small, approaching 2.5 microns, that it can pass through a lot of the cloth masks that people would wear in the past for preventing exposure to infectious agents.
What if you don’t have A/C but should keep windows closed?
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends seeking shelter elsewhere if you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed.
The agencies recommends calling or texting 211, or contacting your local health department, to find out if there is a shelter or cooling center nearby. Health officials also suggest considering spending time in an air-conditioned public place such as a library, mall, or movie theater.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: What should you do to stay safe amid wildfire smoke? What health experts suggest
Reporting by Anne Snabes, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Anne Snabes, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
