Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Officials, Hospitals On High Alert As Wildfires Burn Across California
Hospitals across Southern California reported that high numbers of patients with breathing problems caused by this week's wildfires visited emergency rooms. Health officials in Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties warned of high pollution levels caused by smoke. The microscopic particles in smoke can penetrate deep into the lungs, creating a hazard for those who already have heart or lung problems such as asthma, emphysema or COPD. (Karlamangla, 12/8)
A week of major wind-whipped fires across Southern California has caused significant air pollution and health problems. The air quality is worst in and around fires burning from Ventura County to San Diego County, but the smoke has traveled to places not threatened by the flames. And with the Santa Ana winds dying down, officials say the smoke could stick around for a while. (Karlamangla and Vives, 12/9)
Climate change-focused research published in the journal Environmental Research Letters a year ago concluded smoke could send 30 more people to hospitals across the West each year during the late 2040s than was the case 40 years earlier as smoke waves become more frequent and severe, mostly in the late summer and early fall. ...Impacts could be heavy in parts of central Colorado and Washington — and in Southern California. (Upton and Wheeling, 12/9)
