Stay indoors, EMA warns individuals vulnerable to Sahara dust

THE blanket of Sahara dust across the country has led the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) to urge medically-vulnerable people to stay indoors and avoid physical exertion.

People with heart and lung ailments must take care.

An EMA statement on Sunday said the air quality at their Point Lisas monitoring station was classed as “unhealthy” while their station at Signal Hill in Tobago recorded an air quality level as “hazardous.”

For Point Lisas on a scale from 0-500, the air quality was deemed as 179, which lies in the range of unhealthy, lying in the fourth highest range out of six ranges. For Tobago, the level was 426 out of a worst possible maximum of 500, falling in the highest range as hazardous.

For its Point Lisas station, the EMA warned of “increased aggravation of respiratory symptoms in sensitive groups including older adults, children, and people with respiratory ailments and allergies; increased aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in people with heart or lung disease; increased respiratory effects in general population.”

For Tobago, the EMA repeated this warning but steeped it up to a risk of a “serious aggravation” to these sensitive groups.

For the Point Lisas station, the EMA advised, “ People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and people with respiratory ailments and allergies should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.”

For Tobago, the EMA urged, “Everyone should avoid all physical activity outdoors. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, and people with respiratory ailments and allergies should remain indoors and keep activity levels low.

Several people commented on the dust on social media, one woman in South Trinidad saying her skin was itching, and another in South remarking, “My eyes are itching and my throat hurts.”

Dr Roxanne Mitchell, acting general manager of Primary Care Services in Tobago, on Sunday told Newsday she had a patient who could not open his/her eyes (due to the dust) whom she had to advise on medication. "I have friends and relatives who are asthmatics who we have advised to wear masks. Many complain about their eyes and are having a little difficulty in pulling in air. I anticipate people with respiratory disorders will be the first to present." Heart patients and people with allergies will also soon see medical treatment, she reckoned, saying the dust levels are expected to get even worse in the coming days. "I've sent out a caution to my physicians to look for people with respiratory conditions and allergies."

She expects to see people complain of irritation to their eyes, skin and airways.

"The place is very hazy. Once you don't venture outside, you'll reduce your exposure."