Three doctors in California say residents need to be aware that smoke from fire increases respiratory symptoms and can lead to increased ER visits for asthma and other respiratory problems.
Smoke particles from the fires, which spread hundreds of miles, damaged the lungs, said Dr. Stephanie Christenson, an assistant professor of medicine in San Francisco, California.
The particles, 20 to 30 times smaller than the diameter of a hair follicle, “can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause sleep and inflammation,” Christensen told a briefing sponsored by UCSF.
“And that’s also what we were worried about in Covid-19, while people get more serious illness, the inflammation in their lungs can overwhelm the system and potentially cause really serious problems,” she said.
It’s not certain that smoke reduces coronavirus symptoms, she said, but it probably does.
ER visits can be stormy
Emergency rooms can expect an increase in the number of patients experiencing respiratory symptoms, said Dr. Jahan Fahimi, medical director of the UCSF Emergency Department.
“In times of poor air quality, emergency departments will often be at the receiving end of patients with respiratory complaints, and so we expect that in places where wildfires are particularly bad, these ERs are likely to see an uptick in the number of patients presented. to the ER, “said Fahimi.
This is where things get tricky when dealing with a pandemic and wildfires.
People are told that it is safer outside to prevent coronavirus infections. “That’s really true,” Fahimi said.
“However, if the air quality is so poor, then outdoor poses a whole new risk associated with the exposure to fireworks. All the more reason to keep shelter in place and stay at home.”
Cotton masks not adequate
And then there is the problem of masks.
“It’s important to remind people that the complaint of cloths that people wear regarding Covid-19 does not protect you – by and large, you do not protect them – from exposure to fire smoke,” said Drs. John Balmes, a UCSF professor of medicine in the divisions of occupational and environmental medicine and pulmonary and critical care.
That does not mean that people should not wear the cotton masks at all. “If you can’t get a surgical mask or an N95, wear the cloth mask, because the most important thing right now is to protect others from transmitting the virus,” Balmes said.
Plus, Fahimi said, people infected with Covid-19 “who are irritated by fire smoke may cough and sneeze and that virus spreads, so it’s increasingly important for everyone to wear masks.”
And what about the firefighters working at the front, in cramped quarters, sleeping in tents and eating together?
“It’s a problem,” Balmes said. “The U.S. Forest Service has been worried about this for months.”
Crews with the US Forest Service try to camp separately and take social distance. If firefighters are not lying in front, they are wearing masks, he said.
Troubleshooting – CalFire often uses prisoners on the fire line.
“Prisoners have been particularly hard hit with SARS-CoV-2 infection,” Balmes said. This year at a prison fire training camp, “I think about half of the people who are being trained with the SARS-CoV-2 infection came,” he said.
“It’s a big problem and we really need to support our firefighters. They work really hard in very dangerous conditions and are really at risk for both Covid-19 and the effects of smoke in the fire,” he said.
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