Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press.
Palo Alto, California. Due to the increase of smoke from wildfires in the state of California, thousands of children will be affected in their health by exposure to particulate pollutants, which can cause serious damage to their lungs and generate asthma in their adolescence.
This was stated by Kari Nadeu, physician-scientist at Stanford University, who said during the videoconference: "New evidence on the health impacts of wildfire smoke" that among the most affected are newborns, children and pregnant women.
The latter, she said, may experience discomfort during pregnancy, have complications and eventually give birth to premature babies who, in turn, may have respiratory problems.
The expert pointed out that although the N95 masks help protect against smoke from fires and prevent the acquisition of viruses such as COVID-19, the microparticles generated by the smoke are very fine and stick to the mouthpiece, so she called that this sector of the population to stay at home and, if possible, use air filters.
In adults, he said the problems range from respiratory to cardiovascular issues, such as possible heart attacks, as well as complicating chronic diseases and exacerbating the symptoms generated by COVID-19.
And is that depending on the amount of smoke that exists in the environment, the number of suspended particles and exposure time, could be equivalent to smoking between one and seven cigarettes a day, so people who smoke or use vaporizers should be aware of the consequences it will bring to your health to do so during the fire season.
On the other hand, the pediatrician explained that because of the pandemic, people have an exacerbated use of cleaning chemicals and household sprays, whose compounds can be left floating in the air and further contaminate the environment.
In that sense, he added that fires are largely a consequence of climate change, so we must seek long-term solutions, and we will have to get used to more forest fires.
In this regard, the chair of the department of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford, Lynn M. Hildemann, said that given the pandemic that is experienced globally is almost impossible to get N95 masks, which are the most useful to protect against smoke from fires, as well as Covid-19, so they should be manufactured in larger quantities and with forms for all types of face, including children.
In terms of construction, he explained that not all houses have a good seal, which would help prevent smoke from fires, especially those of greater antiquity, because even with closed doors and windows the fine particles manage to enter, so often the houses are not a real protection.
He stressed that air filters and humidifiers can be purchased, since air conditioning only works to make people feel more comfortable inside a place, but they are far from being an instrument of protection against virus particles or smoke.
For Marshall Burke, of Stanford's Department of Earth System Science, Food Safety and Environmental Sciences, many people find it difficult to afford air filters and purifiers, as they can cost upwards of $300.
So these forest fires also affect the economy of the people, especially those who are most vulnerable, since they do not have access to good health services, nor can they buy filtration systems for their homes.
However, he clarified that these fires have affected mostly middle and high income people, because their homes are located near the forests where the fires have occurred, so there is greater exposure to fire and smoke.
He added that while in recent days the San Francisco Bay has experienced what many cities suffer constantly, it will have to gradually deal with the situation, as it will occur more frequently due to climate change.
