Are N95 masks useful for forest fire smoke?

Hello. So far in August, California has been hit hard by wildfires, record temperatures and blackouts, all amid a pandemic. A reader asked how residents with respiratory illnesses were doing.

Evan Underwood, who suffers from asthma, migraines and sensitivity to heat, has been quarantined at his home in San Ramon for months. And now, with wildfires raging across northern California, if the Air Quality Index – which measures pollution levels – exceeds 100, going out for even a few minutes would trigger a crisis. asthma and a migraine that would last a whole day. His plan is to stay home until the end of fire season, provided he doesn’t lose power or be forced to evacuate.

For our series answering readers’ questions about life during the pandemic, Mr. Underwood asked how smoke inhalation affects people at high risk for severe Covid-19, like him, and whether they are more vulnerable to a serious illness. “If our whole area is bathed in smoke, while so many people still have damaged lungs, the virus is still rampant and people are going back to work, it can’t be right, can it? he wrote.

As my colleagues have reported, Covid-19 and smoke are a dangerous combination, as both affect the respiratory system, making people exposed to the virus more vulnerable.

Polluted air can also weaken the immune systems of healthy people, making them more vulnerable to diseases like Covid-19, according to experts from the Washington State Department of Health.

And studies have shown that in areas with poor air quality, people are more likely to die if they contract the virus.

[Read the latest updates on the wildfires burning across California.]

“We know that people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are at a higher risk of both contracting Covid-19 and having more severe symptoms when infected,” said Dr Jeanne A. Noble , emergency physician and director of the Covid-19 response in the emergency department of the UCSF medical center. “Adding smoke inhalation to the mix will further increase everyone’s vulnerability to Covid-19, but especially for those with respiratory issues.”

Dr Noble said she could see smoke billowing over the city as she crossed the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge to work Wednesday night. Since March, the emergency department at UCSF hospital has been using outdoor tents to properly space patients while waiting to be seen. The fumes will probably make them unusable.

“We strongly encouraged everyone to take things outside. It is so much safer. And now we can’t, ”she said. “It’s basically like winter comes early.”

In addition, Dr Noble said his ward would likely be busier, as there is always an increase in respiratory cases during power outages from people who depend on electric CPAP machines for breathing or nebulizers to deliver medication. drugs. Heat is also a trigger for asthma and emphysema, she said.

For people who have been infected with Covid-19 and are having lingering effects, Dr Michael Daignault, emergency physician at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, said that since Covid-19 is a multisystemic inflammatory disease, a significant exposure to smoke and inhalation, associated with underlying disease of the respiratory system, could exacerbate symptoms.

“I think it depends on the main symptoms of a patient with Covid-19 and their underlying medical issues,” he said.

In previous years, people have used masks or N95 respirators to protect themselves against inhaling dangerous particles caused by smoke from wildfires.

But Allison Thomas, a reader from Butte County, asked us, “There are no N95 masks available to the general public. What are we going to use when the forest fires start? “

Like everything nowadays, the pandemic has complicated matters. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health officials are telling people to keep N95 masks for workers on the frontlines of the pandemic.

The California Department of Public Health states on its website: “Do not buy N95 respirator masks for personal use. They are part of the PPE that healthcare professionals need. “

Dr. Noble cautions against using N95 masks with exhalation valves. While effective at filtering out smoke particles, the valves allow the wearer’s breath to escape the mask, posing a risk of the spread of Covid-19. If the mask contains an exhalation valve, she said you should wear a surgical mask on it.

If you experience the effects of smoke, you should try other ways of reducing exposure first.

In its guide to smoke from wildfires, the Environmental Protection Agency said, “Respirators should only be used after implementing other more effective methods of reducing exposure, including staying away. indoor, reduce activity, and use HEPA air purifiers indoors to reduce overall exposure to smoke. “

[What to know about buying an air purifier to clear wildfire smoke.]

If you can’t reduce your exposure in another way, experts say the N95 or N100 masks will work to filter out fine particles. But keep in mind that respirators are not approved for infants and young children, and may not work on people with beards.

For people with respiratory illnesses, Dr Daignault said to make sure you have enough medications in stock and use breathing aids, like albuterol, as needed and see a doctor if things get worse.

Dr Noble said: “I think people will have to be very vigilant in monitoring air quality.” She recommends checking the EPA’s interactive map for updates. “Just as a lot of people have gotten into the habit of tracking Covid-19 numbers to see when their children’s school might reopen or when their county will be taken off the watch list, I think people now need to take it. used to check the air. quality index. “

Have a question about how the pandemic is changing everyday life in California? Click here to submit.

Read our ongoing coverage of California wildfires and see where the fires are burning right now. [Latest Updates][Map of Wildfires]

• A blatant planning failure, poor record keeping and sheer bad luck left California with power short in a heatwave. Power plants capable of producing about 15% of the electricity on the California grid were reported to be offline when temperatures rose last Friday. [The New York Times]

• Hours before Uber and Lyft suspended ride-sharing services across California in response to a judge’s ruling, an appeals court granted them a temporary stay., allowing them to continue to operate while the court assesses their appeal. [The New York Times]

• Gov. Gavin Newsom canceled a scheduled appearance at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday as fires continue to rage across California, sending a video to a cell phone instead. [The Sacramento Bee]

• Since she first ran for California State Attorney General ten years ago, Kamala Harris has forged strong ties to the tech industry. [The New York Times]

• U.S. Postal Service workers in California reported chaotic conditions at mail facilities, including packages containing rotten food, dead animals, and missing or padlocked mail sorting machines. [Los Angeles Times]

• Two suspects have been arrested in connection with a hate crime against a group of transgender women in Hollywood this week. [Los Angeles Times]

• After World War II, thousands of Japanese-Americans returned to the west coast from internment camps with nowhere to live. Poverty, restrictive housing covenants, and racial prejudice have led many people to seek housing wherever they can. [The New York Times]

• The Criterion Collection, a highly prestigious film archive, has largely excluded black Americans from its collection. Only four films featured in the collection have African-American directors. [The New York Times]

California Today goes live at 6:30 a.m. PT on weekdays. Tell us what you want to see: [email protected]. Have you been forwarded this email? Sign up for California Today here and read each edition online here.

Jill Cowan grew up in Orange County, went to school at UC Berkeley, and has reported statewide, including the Bay Area, Bakersfield and Los Angeles – but she still wants to see more. Follow us here or on Twitter, @jillcowan.

California Today is edited by Julie Bloom, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from UC Berkeley.