April 10, 2021
The medical effects of inhaling sulfur from the ashfall coming from the spewing La Soufriere volcano, which has erupted in St Vincent could range from acute to chronic.
In an interview today, Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said that persons who are exposed to ash for long periods can develop chronic lung disease.
However, Dr George said while it was likely that people in St. Vincent could be chronically affected; he does not believe this would be the experience in Barbados.
“Persons may be more susceptible to acute disease and not chronic disease,” he said.
“But the general advice is that if you are unsure stay indoors. It is suggested that you keep your windows and doors closed because you don’t want the ash to come inside the house. The other thing is that mask wearing is extremely important on this occasion because we are in a COVID environment and the mask will also protect you from harmful dust,” Dr George added.
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Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George has advised Barbadians to take preventative measures against adverse respiratory effects likely to be caused by the ash cloud from the Soufriere volcano eruption.
In the aftermath of yesterday’s eruption in St Vincent and the Grenadines, he said there were “some potential respiratory and other effects that may occur” and informed Barbadians that there were appropriate preventative measures that could be taken.
Speaking during a virtual press conference to update on the state of affairs in light of the eruption, George said: “A lot of the issues surround respiratory issues, usually allergies, so persons who have asthma and persons who have chronic lung disease need to be aware of the situation and need to take protective actions.”
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As complications continue to unfold with the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the latest being confirmation from the European drug regulators of linkage between the shot and rare blood clots, this country’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George is standing by the safety of the jab developed by the UK-based pharmaceutical company.
In an interview with the Weekend Nation, George contends that with serious limitations in options and with the benefits far outweighing the risk, there is no point trying to change the course which has already seen just over 63 000 people receiving their first dose of the vaccine in Barbados.
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Home / Local News / Local authorities ready plans to respond to any impact from La Soufriere volcano Local authorities ready plans to respond to any impact from La Soufriere volcano
Article by April 9, 2021
Officials have been busy with preparations to deal with any major ash fall here from St Vincent’s erupting La Soufrière volcano while urging citizens to beware but not to panic.
Following an explosive eruption of the volcano this morning in Kingstown at 8:41, a weak plume of ash passed over Barbados around 11:30 a.m., approximately 18,000 to 25,000 feet, before pushing off to the east of the island.