Wildfire smoke is taking a toll on Whatcom health (and could be worsening COVID impacts)
It’s difficult to avoid the question as you gaze out into the wildfire smoke-filled skies that have descended onto Whatcom County this week: How will this impact my health?
“Most of the population will start experiencing symptoms like cough, headache and sore throat,” said Kaitlyn Kelly, air quality policy specialist at the state Department of Health. “Smoke is becoming unhealthy for everyone.”
The recent smoke in Whatcom County presents a particularly high public health risk, since it is occurring at the same time as an extreme heat event and a pandemic. Plus, air quality experts like Kelly are increasingly concerned about the long-term health impacts of repeated, prolonged smoke exposure as climate change makes wildfires more frequent and severe.
Many people know that smoke is produced when combustion takes place — lighting a bonfire or a cigarette, for example — but not as many understand what smoke actually is. Smoke is a mixture of gases and teeny-tiny particles of varying sizes. The particles, also referred to as particulate matter, are what make wildfire smoke so dangerous.
The larger particles are what trigger eye, nose and throat irritation, which Whatcom County residents may have noticed if they spent time outside recently. But it’s the smallest particles, PM 2.5, that are the most insidious — these particles are nearly 30 times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair and have the ability to penetrate deep into human lung tissue, sometimes making their way into a person’s blood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Friday morning, Aug. 13, in Bellingham, inhaling the air was equivalent to smoking more than half a cigarette over the course of the day, according to the app Sh**t! I Smoke, which translates local air quality data into cigarettes smoked. The pulmonary clinic at St. Joseph hospital has seen an increased number of calls from patients with respiratory concerns in the last day, according to Hilary Andrade, hospital communications specialist.
“Every time there is wildfire smoke, they always notice an uptick in calls about respiratory concerns,” she said. The emergency department hasn’t noticed an increase in cases clearly connected to wildfire smoke, but they are on the lookout, particularly as the day gets hotter in late afternoon.
Immediate health impacts from wildfire smoke also include wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath and headache. For those with existing lung and heart conditions or diabetes, the smoke could have dire consequences by triggering a heart attack or asthma attack.
For most people, the immediate symptoms of smoke exposure go away once they get away from the smoke, said Sue Sullivan, environmental health manager at the Whatcom County Department of Health. But staying indoors is not as easy as it sounds in the throes of a heat wave and pandemic — those without cooling systems may be boiling in their homes and common COVID-19 guidance encourages folks not to congregate indoors.
Smoke added to heat, pandemic
Wildfire smoke likely exacerbates the public health toll of the pandemic, according to new research out of Harvard University. The study found that last year’s wildfire smoke was associated with almost 20,000 extra coronavirus infections and 750 COVID-19 deaths in the American West. This correlation is believed to occur because smoke exposure can harm white blood cells in the lungs and inflame cells lining the lungs and airways, reducing the immune system’s ability to quickly respond to a viral infection.
“When you have the symptoms that are related to both COVID-19 and wildfire smoke, like sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing, we suggest seeking a COVID test,” Kelly said. Those who have serious symptoms of chest pain or trouble breathing should seek medical attention immediately, Sullivan said.
People who do venture outside should properly wear an N95 face mask if possible, Sullivan said. Cloth face coverings and surgical masks, however, generally will not protect people from the pollutants in wildfire smoke.
Even staying indoors may not fully protect you from the smoke, however, which can seep into structures through invisible cracks, Kelly said. She recommends that those with an HVAC system increase air filtration by using a MERV 13 filter. For those without an HVAC system, she advises purchasing a HEPA portable air purifier or making a purifier by attaching a MERV 13 filter to a large box fan. The MERV filters can be purchased online or at your local hardware story, Kelly said, and while MERV 13 is the best option, MERV 11 or higher is sufficient.
For lower-income folks, however, this is often not possible — a HEPA air purifier can cost hundreds of dollars and even the do-it-yourself purifier requires an investment of up to $70 dollars in materials.
“All these are great but do take some homework to do,” Kelly said. “When we are in the middle of a smoke event it’s not the easiest and quickest option.”
As the haze clears, revealing blue skies, health impacts from wildfire smoke exposure can linger. When pregnant women are exposed to heavy smoke, it can result in problems with infants at birth, such as low weight, according to the CDC. And there is still much unknown about the long-term impacts of wildfire smoke — as climate change fuels more wildfires and thus more smoke, research is needed to fully understand how this increased exposure will impact people’s health.
“Research is still catching up, but we will see those emerge soon,” she said. “Those studies take lots of data and years of exposure.”
This story was originally published August 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
