Staff Report
The Pioneer Fire in the Boise National Forest near Idaho City, ID began in July 2016. (Provided / U.S. Forest Service)
A new study led by the Desert Research Institute in Reno found that wildfire smoke increases susceptibility to to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
DRI teamed with Washoe County Health District and Renown Health to produce the study that was published earlier this week in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology.
The DRI-led research team set out to examine whether smoke from 2020 wildfires in the Western U.S. was associated with an increase in SARS-CoV-2 infections in Reno.
Study Shows Forests May Take in Far More Toxic Mercury Than Thought | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory columbia.edu - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from columbia.edu Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in the mid-90s by Thursday, and triple digits throughout the weekend a danger for wildfire and people with already existing cardio-pulmonary disease.
“It’ll be especially hot for the foothills because overnight cooling will only get down to the mid- to high 70s,” said Cory Mueller, National Weather Service meteorologist. “It’s typical for the foothills to cool down to an average low of 57 degrees, so you’ll be well above average.”
Mueller cautioned people to guard against heat exhaustion. Symptoms can include dizziness, fainting, excessive sweating, pale and clammy skin, and muscle cramps.
What if a brand new field of science could explain how wildfire smoke carries microbes? inlander.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from inlander.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Where the underground Amargosa bubbles to the surface, unique flora and fauna thrive. But now, hotter weather and depleted groundwater in Nevada and California threaten this rare ecosystem.