HOUSTON – An incoming wave of Saharan dust combined with three-digit temperatures and high humidity make for a potentially dangerous combination in Houston, including increasing your chances of catching COVID-19.
This bout of dust is predicted to be the densest concentration in the last 50 years, which has doctors encouraging those over 65 and younger than five to stay indoors the rest of the week.
Medical Director of Emergency Care Centers at Houston Methodist, Dr. Ben Saldana, said it has the potential to be dangerous when you breathe it in.
“We worry about patients that could have respiratory complications from exposure: patients with asthma, seasonal allergies, chronic bronchitis and emphysema,” Dr. Saldana explained. “Dust particles that are maybe five microns, or COVID, which is a .3 microns, tends to get in the airway and exacerbate that airway by making it irritated which would be a symptom of wheezing you hear, or coughing, and it can also develop into an infection if it doesn’t get back out.”
Cristal Canales is concerned about viruses and infections, but not just the dust.
“We stay at home,” she said. “It’s extremely hot. Super, super hot. We have a little one, and I’m pregnant, and the heat is too much.”
Melody Brackett said so far her kids have had no symptoms.
“I remember last year it was really, really bad and it bothered him, especially, so we pretty much stayed inside while it blew through... but this year, it hasn’t bothered us yet,” Brackett said.
Dr. Saldana said to protect from over-exposure, consider staying indoors or wearing a mask outdoors.
He expects in the short term, there will likely be an increase in emergency room visits, but once the dust passes in a few days, the threat will too.