Summer dust storms, like the one that hit the Valley this week, can be impressive to observe. However, haboobs pose health dangers, particularly to the unhoused population.
Dr. Frank LoVecchio serves in the emergency room of Valleywise Health in Phoenix.
“Unfortunately, there are many people who are homeless and were outside during this, and many of them kind of came in,” the mayor remarked.
He claims that the most prevalent medical problems are coughing, shortness of breath, and eye discomfort.
Other at-risk groups, according to him, include the elderly and “people with underlying lung disease, particularly asthma, COPD, or other respiratory illnesses.” People with heart disease are slightly more likely to worsen during these times.”
Haboobs can also raise the risk of valley fever, which is caused by fungal spores found in the soil and breathed when dust is stirred up by winds.
The state health department has reported approximately 9,000 instances of valley fever this year, according to their most recent data. According to LoVecchio, a dust storm often increases the number of patients in his emergency room by 10%.
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