The combination of a pandemic and a heat wave is dangerous for the vulnerable.
An east coast heat wave that caused excessive warnings and warnings, coupled with the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., could force vulnerable people to make difficult decisions about their health, say the experts.
This week’s heat index, which refers to the heat outside, is expected to exceed 100 degrees in cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC
In response to a heat index expected to hit 110 degrees this week, Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser activated a heat emergency that runs through July 22 and closed public COVID-19 test sites in the District.
“We are in the midst of a very oppressive and hot day,” Bowser said during a press conference on Monday.
“The temperatures would be too dangerous for our staff and volunteers at public test sites.”
Bowser encouraged DC residents to call their medical providers if they need a COVID-19 test or if they feel sick, since many private providers have internal testing facilities.
Refrigeration centers are open in neighborhoods throughout the city, with modified rules due to the pandemic, including social distancing. “Anyone entering a cooling center must wear a mask,” said Bowser. “If you don’t have a mask, you will be provided with one.”
Extreme weather during a pandemic exacerbates existing inequality
As with other aspects of the pandemic, this month’s overlap of the pandemic and heat wave highlights the rampant inequality in the United States.
In extreme heat conditions, vulnerable populations, such as the elderly living alone and the homeless who are exposed to the elements, may be especially susceptible to the weather. Extremely hot weather increases the risk of health problems such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and dehydration.
Where you live can determine whether you survive a heat wave. As the Washington Post previously detailed, poor residents are less likely to have air conditioning and more likely to have medical conditions that are exacerbated by warm weather.
Cities are warmer than nearby rural areas and there are also heat disparities within cities. In Washington, DC, 40 percent of low-income residents live in areas with more empty space and fewer trees, which can contribute to more heat in those neighborhoods, the Washington Post reported.
High heat can have deadly consequences. During a heat wave in Europe in 2003, for example, 70,000 excess deaths were recorded, according to the World Health Organization. Heat waves have been the leading cause of death in the US On average for the past three decades, reports the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council.
According to the WHO, extreme heat can also cause higher levels of pollen, which can exacerbate conditions such as asthma.
For people with respiratory problems, heat waves are already dangerous, according to Dr. Leigh Vinocur, a Baltimore-based emergency medicine physician and national spokesperson for the American College of Emergency Physicians.
Since COVID-19 symptoms can include breathing problems and breathing problems, high heat and humidity can interfere with recovery.
Cooling centers can offer relief to homeless or homeless people, but they also have the potential for the spread of disease indoors with unrelated people crowding.
The heat wave complicates COVID-19 best practices that public health authorities have articulated to the public, including the idea that it is safer to be outside than indoors, because the virus is more difficult to transmit outdoors, Vinocur said. . During a heat wave, you are not safer outside if you are going to die of heat stroke, he added.
The high humidity of the mid-Atlantic also makes it harder for humans to regulate their own body temperatures, according to Vinocur. “You can’t even sweat to cool off. There’s no evaporation of sweat.”
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