Some People in Florida Advised To Stay Inside Amid Warning of Saharan Dust
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Floridians who are sensitive to poor air quality might want to limit their outdoor activity or consider staying inside this week as a Saharan dust plume moves into the state.
Why It Matters
The influx of Saharan dust can directly impact public health and daily life in Florida, especially for those with asthma, chronic respiratory diseases, and allergies. Elevated particle concentrations can trigger breathing problems, sore throats, and eye irritation.
The plume's presence is also expected to temporarily suppress hurricane development, which could be a mixed blessing ahead of the Atlantic storm season, which is set to begin on June 1.
What To Know
The Saharan Air Layer originates in Africa's Sahara Desert and is carried westward by powerful winds across the Atlantic Ocean, often reaching as far as the Caribbean, Florida, and the Gulf Coast. Each summer, the dust travels over 5,000 miles, typically peaking from June through mid-August.
A Florida sunset is seen amid a Sahara dust storm on June 30, 2020.
A Florida sunset is seen amid a Sahara dust storm on June 30, 2020.
Johnny Louis/Getty
National guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Weather Service (NWS) says that exposure to elevated dust levels can aggravate asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and allergies. Eyes, nasal passages, and throats may also become irritated, and vulnerable groups—including children, the elderly, and people with heart or lung conditions—face increased risks.
The dust cloud is particularly strong in the Caribbean, where the health guidance advises limiting time outdoors, especially during highest dust concentration.
People are urged to keep windows and doors closed, use air purifiers with HEPA filters and wear masks—preferably dust or surgical masks—if time outdoors cannot be avoided.
While the dust degrades air quality, it also can suppress hurricane activity.
NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist David Roth told Newsweek the dust can make it more difficult for showers and thunderstorms to form. The dust also can make the sky appear whiter, Roth said.
People also should be cognizant of heat, as the dust can make it feel hotter, Roth said.
What People Are Saying
NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist David Roth told Newsweek: "Any particulate in the air, especially if it's above 80 degrees...will lower air quality. Usually it won't be unhealthy for the general population, but if you're sensitive to a decrease in air quality, you should stay indoors."
Wokil Bam, an assistant professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, posted on X, formerly Twitter: "Saharan dust is a fascinating natural phenomenon! Every year, strong winds lift massive amounts of dust from the Sahara Desert and carry it across the Atlantic Ocean, sometimes reaching as far as the Americas: Saharan dust is headed to Florida. It travels to the Sunshine State each summer, causing hazy skies, colorful sunsets, and lower air quality. The dry, dusty air can weaken or block hurricane formation."
What Happens Next
Roth said the Saharan dust conditions will likely persist for at least the next few days. People who are sensitive to poor air quality are encouraged to follow air quality forecasts as the dust persists across the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
China's Fungus—A Biological Weapons Attack on America's Food Supply?
Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This month, three Chinese nationals were charged with smuggling biological agents into the United States. The attempts could be part of a biological weapons attack on America's farms and ranches. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced that Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, had been charged with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements, and visa fraud. Jian was arrested for smuggling Fusarium graminearum, a "potential agroterrorism weapon" that causes "head blight." The fungal disease hits wheat, barley, maize, and rice and "is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year." In humans and livestock, head blight causes vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects. A tractor and planting implement creates a dust cloud while planting a wheat field in the fertile farm fields of Idaho. A tractor and planting implement creates a dust cloud while planting a wheat field in the fertile farm fields of Idaho. Getty Images Their actions, according to U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon, Jr., represented "the gravest national security concerns." Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI's Detroit Field Office, said the pathogens "posed an imminent threat to public safety." Then on June 9, Michigan's Eastern District announced that it had charged Chinese citizen Chengxuan Han with smuggling "biological materials" and making false statements. The materials, it appears, related to round worms. So why were Jian, Liu, and Han importing pathogens? "Fusarium graminearum is a common pathogen affecting crops in China, and numerous Chinese research institutes, including the Institute of Rice Biology at Zhejiang University, have been actively studying it," Xiaoxu Sean Lin, a former lab director of the viral disease branch of the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, told Newsweek. "The FBI confiscated samples labeled 'ARP9,' an actin-related gene known to influence chromatin remodeling and gene transcription. This suggests the samples were genetically modified strains of Fusarium graminearum." "This raises a critical biosafety question," Lin noted. "Were these modified strains designed to enhance infectivity or pesticide resistance?" The pair may have intended, Lin said, "to perform field testing with these modified fungal strains on university-owned agricultural land." And perhaps they were intending to develop one or more modified strains of head blight to be introduced on farmland or ranchland elsewhere. Zunyong Liu was affiliated with Zhejiang University, where he conducted research on Fusarium graminearum. That institution, Lin said, has a well-documented collaboration with the People's Liberation Army. As he pointed out, "China's military-civil fusion strategy makes it reasonable to speculate about military interest in these genetically modified pathogens, which are potentially related to biological warfare or agroterrorism." Lin said research on such organisms would require special permits from both the University of Michigan and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Jian and Liu, as experienced researchers, would have known that. "If the intent was purely academic," Lin asked, "why did the researchers not pursue the legal, regulated channels for pathogen transfer?" The fact that Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu would risk their careers by smuggling a known pathogen is a factor suggesting malign intent, especially given their relations with the Communist Party—Jian is a member—and their probable connections with military research at their home institutions in China. U.S. Attorney Gorgon said Chengxuan Han's smuggling was part of "an alarming pattern." Brandon Weichert, author of Biohacked: China's Race to Control Life, agreed, telling Newsweek, "The twin incidents are unlikely to be coincidental and certainly part of a troubling series of pathogen transfers to and from Chinese research institutions in recent years." Lin believed Han's affiliation with Huazhong University of Science and Technology is a warning sign because that institution is also involved in military-civil fusion programs. "Questions about PLA involvement are warranted," Lin said. "Biological warfare is a strategic 'commanding height' in Chinese military doctrine." As Weichert told this publication, "These agents can be weapons of mass destruction and their introduction into the United States could very well have been preparation for a biological weapons attack." The Chinese attempts this year to smuggle pathogens may be only the latest incidents in a Chinese campaign to bring down American agriculture. China, I believe, has been trying to plant invasive species in America since at least 2020. That year, Americans in all 50 states received seeds unsolicited from China. Early this year, Temu, the online Chinese retailer, was caught sending seeds to the U.S. unsolicited. In one case, a Chinese party sent unsolicited both seeds and an unidentified liquid. "We can expect many more attempts at sabotaging our food supply both to damage our economy and cause chaos," Weichert said. Gordon G. Chang is the author of Plan Red: China's Project to Destroy America and The Coming Collapse of China. Follow him on X @GordonGChang. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Medscape
3 hours ago
- Medscape
PCP Toolkit for Treating Patients With Respiratory Diseases
Primary care physicians (PCPs) regularly encounter respiratory issues, from the common cold to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD), and more. These conditions can, at times, be diagnosed fairly quickly and easily. But sometimes, ubiquitous symptoms can make differentiating diagnoses difficult. Lung diseases can range from very minor to critical, so you don't want to waste any time in the diagnostic process. It's important, then, to know what tools PCPs have at hand and how to best apply them. This is especially true as many lung diseases also have comorbidities. 'Patients with COPD often also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and left-sided heart disease,' said Jeffrey Marshall, MD, pulmonologist at University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, Maryland. It's also common for patients with respiratory diseases to experience concomitant mental health struggles, according to Marshall. For instance, high rates of anxiety are often found in patients with advanced lung disease. 'All these comorbid conditions can both exacerbate the patient's underlying pulmonary disease or be confused as an exacerbation of that pulmonary disease,' he said. Respiratory complaints — like difficulty breathing and chest pain — are among the most common reasons patients visit the emergency room. While these complaints may fall within respiratory illnesses, there are often other explanations for a patient's symptoms. Learning to discern these differences can be an important skill set as a PCP. That said, it's also important to know when to refer to a specialist. 'Early recognition and timely referral can significantly improve patient outcomes,' said Tejaswini Kulkarni, MD, associate professor of medicine and director of the Interstitial Lung Disease Program at The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Here's what you need to know to treat and guide your patients presenting with respiratory issues. PCP Toolkit The first step to having a handle on respiratory issues with your patients is taking a comprehensive medical history. For patients who have been already diagnosed with a respiratory condition, 'it's important to reinforce proper disease management and medication adherence,' said Marshall. 'Exposures, triggers, prior personal history, and a detailed family history are all important components of understanding a patient's pulmonary condition.' Tobacco use is a primary example of this — patients who currently smoke or have smoked in the past are going to be more susceptible to respiratory conditions of all kinds. 'Though cigarette use has declined in most places across the country, tobacco use still has a significant impact on our nation's health,' said Marshall. 'Tobacco use contributes to many diseases, including asthma, COPD, heart disease, and, of course, cancer. Current and former smokers are also at a significantly increased risk of infections, namely the development of pneumonia.' In addition, patients with a history of smoking are more likely to be hospitalized and die from pneumonia, he said. Physicians should also consider their patients' work history, hobbies, and current occupation. Patients who work in certain occupations, like construction, for instance, may have exposure to harmful substances, like asbestos or certain paints. Chronic exposure may lead to complications and can be a good starting point for diagnosis. Even living in an area with high pollution and poor air quality can be a contributing factor. Patients will present with both acute and chronic symptoms, ranging from cough to shortness of breath, exercise-induced asthma, allergies, and sleep apnea. After taking a comprehensive history, physicians can utilize a variety of tools for further diagnosis — one of which could include pulse oximetry. 'Though patients typically present with symptoms prior to ever becoming hypoxemic, it may be helpful to get a walking pulse oximetry to understand the degree of changes in SpO2 and heart rate with exertion,' said Marshall. 'Simply walking a patient with a pulse oximeter can provide helpful information regarding exercise tolerance and whether that patient needs oxygen.' Physicians might also want to try a handheld spirometer, which is simple to use and provides a good deal of information regarding patients' pulmonary and respiratory health. 'Spirometers can provide you with a basic set of numbers right in the office,' said Orlando Ruiz-Rodriguez, MD, a pulmonologist at Orlando Health in Orlando, Florida. A basic stethoscope can also help in diagnosing pulmonary issues. 'Listening to lungs is part of the standard of care,' said Ruiz-Rodriguez. 'Make sure there are no abnormal sounds, like wheezing, crackling, or decreased breathing. Today's generation of stethoscopes are electronic and a much-improved tool at the primary care level.' There are other tests PCPs can explore before deciding it's time to seek out a specialist. 'To expedite workup and management of patients with lung diseases, pulmonologists typically prefer certain baseline tests before a referral,' said Kulkarni. 'These commonly include pulmonary function tests to assess airflow obstruction or restriction, chest imaging (chest x-ray or high-resolution CT if interstitial lung disease is suspected), and basic lab work such as CBC [complete blood count], CMP [comprehensive metabolic panel], and BNP [B-type natriuretic peptide test].' To help reduce diagnostic delays and improve patient outcomes, it's best to move with caution when considering a pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis, said Kulkarni. Pulmonary fibrosis is often challenging to diagnose because clinical presentation mimics common conditions like coronary artery disease and COPD, 'but it has worse clinical outcomes with delays in treatment,' she said. Beyond diagnostics, one consideration to keep in your toolkit, said Marshall, is vaccines. 'Patients with underlying respiratory or pulmonary conditions are at a higher risk of developing and becoming sick from respiratory illnesses,' he said. 'We now have several extraordinary vaccines available to our patients to help reduce the burden of infectious respiratory disease.' When to Refer While PCPs can treat respiratory issues in office to the best of their ability, there are times when referring to a pulmonologist is essential. 'Your local neighborhood pulmonologist is your friend,' said Marshall. 'Referrals to a pulmonologist should be considered whenever there is diagnostic uncertainty, when initial therapeutics are not working, or when more complex interventions or therapeutics are necessary in the workup and management of your patient.' A few common reasons to refer to a pulmonologist include treating or diagnosing unremitting cough or chronic refractory, he said. There are certain times when immediate referral is appropriate, according to Kulkarni. These include rapidly progressive dyspnea, hypoxia, hypercapnia, hemoptysis, suspected lung cancer, and large pleural effusions. For cases of symptom progression, she recommends referring with chronic coughs lasting over 8 weeks, unexplained or worsening dyspnea, frequent asthma or COPD exacerbations despite treatment, recurrent pneumonia, and signs of pulmonary hypertension. Referring should not be considered a last resort, either, said Ruiz-Rodriguez. 'Some primary care doctors want to do as much as possible before referring,' he said. 'But know the limitations of what you have available to you. If your patient has symptoms, abnormal test results, or even a complicated medical history, send them to us. Even sleep apnea with a complicated history is a cue to move on to a specialist.'
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
New IVF Tool Allows Parents To Screen Genetics of Embryos: Is It Ethical?
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new tool allows parents undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to screen their embryos for health issues, but is it ethical? Genetic disease is believed to be linked to 41 percent of U.S. infants' deaths, while more than 2 million children in the country have a genetic condition. U.S.-based company Nucleus is offering people having IVF the chance to select their embryos by using software that highlights various genetic markers linked to health. Technology that tries to prevent genetic diseases like sickle cell disease, where patients have unusually shaped red blood cells, is already in use. Newsweek/Getty Images/Newsweek/Getty Images "This type of selection of specific embryos as a result of IVF is already occurring in sickle cell care," Dr. Crawford Strunk, vice chief medical officer of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, told Newsweek. Parents are able to choose an embryo which tests negative for sickle cell disease, he said, and from which stem cells can also be taken for transplant to help cure children with the condition. However, two experts raised concern over embryo selection, with one telling Newsweek that there are "deeply troubling ethical aspects" of IVF. Preventing Genetic Disease and Improving Embryo Health Nucleus Embryo is described as "the first genetic optimization software that helps parents pursuing IVF see and understand the complete genetic profile of each of their embryos." With the tool, users can check for more than 1,000 traits and conditions, from single gene disorders like cystic fibrosis to complex conditions like heart disease and cancer risks, and mental health conditions like anxiety and ADHD, the company's CEO Kian Sadeghi told Newsweek. The technology is able to do this by not only detecting specific genetic markers for certain diseases but by also calculating polygenic scores, which combine up to a million genetic markers into a single number to determine someone's genetic predisposition for a condition or trait. This includes coronary artery disease, breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and more. "These integrated models further enable Nucleus to identify risk in embryos and adults as accurately as possible," Jerry Lanchbury, a member of Nucleus' scientific advisory board, told Newsweek. According to a 2023 study by Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, the deaths of five out of seven infants from genetic disease could have been prevented had "rapid, diagnostic [whole genome sequencing] been performed at the time of symptom onset or intensive care unit admission." In the U.K., whole genome sequencing has been brought in as a routine part of medical care, in order to increase "early detection and treatment of high-risk conditions." "The power of genetic prediction also goes beyond rare diseases. Genetic testing can lead to lifesaving preventive care," Lanchbury said. He added that genetic instances of high cholesterol, breast cancer and colon cancer cause a substantial number of deaths in the U.S. every year, with more than 3 million cases contributing to over 750,000 deaths per year. "Each of these conditions are preventable," he said. Lanchbury also said that "the environment, parenting and chance play profound roles in how genetic predispositions manifest," so Nucleus ranks its predictions by strength so that parents can understand the range of likely outcomes for their embryos. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, U.S. representative for Florida, told Newsweek that IVF can be a "godsend" for those with a BRCA gene mutation—which can increase the risk of breast cancer in women by 80 percent, Lanchbury said. A breast cancer survivor herself, Wasserman Schultz added that IVF treatment "can help end generational genetic cycles of deadly disease in a family's future." Technology that can test for a BRCA gene mutation in embryos and determine which embryos should be implanted as a result is "one of many incredible, life-saving benefits of genetic research," she said. However, while Sadeghi told Newsweek that "people have the right to genetically optimize their children," various groups and experts say the technology raises a number of ethical questions. A photo of a Nucleus kit, used to screen embryos for genetic conditions. A photo of a Nucleus kit, used to screen embryos for genetic conditions. Uncredited/Nucleus Choosing Embryos Based on Characteristics While giving parents the opportunity to select their embryos based on a number of traits and conditions could help to reduce the prevalence of genetic disease, it could also allow them to make their choices based on other factors. "If we are talking about screening and selecting certain human embryos over others based on a host of characteristics and risks, then we are not talking about preventing harm to future human beings but making a choice as to which human lives are most worth living," Jason Thacker, assistant professor of philosophy and ethics at Southern Seminary and Boyce College, told Newsweek. He added that from the very moment of fertilization, "a unique human being is made which has inherent dignity, value and rights." "This is one of the deeply troubling ethical aspects of IVF in general, where children are often treated as mere commodities and not fully human in the embryonic stage," he said. He added that while modifying genes to prevent disease "may have some tangible benefits worth cautiously pursuing," it is also important to be aware of how those decisions will affect the child and subsequent generations. There has also been some concern raised about the implications of parents selecting embryos with a higher IQ screening. "Parents can select for an average difference of 2.5 IQ points," Sadeghi told Newsweek. However, intelligence has been found to be linked with schizophrenia, ADHD, OCD, Alzheimer's disease and autism, he added. "When you analyze genes for disease risk, you're also uncovering insights into traits, since both share a common genetic foundation," Sadeghi said. "What matters most to us is helping parents understand these genetic connections—so they can make informed choices based on what matters most to them." Thacker, however, warned that this technology was leading society into territory where "we will not always be able to accurately predict the downstream effects of our biomedical decisions, and we must be extremely cautious and seek wisdom as we go about techniques that affect real human lives—both in the embryonic stage, at birth and into future generations." A photo of a computer screen showing the results from an embryo assessment done by the company Nucleus. A photo of a computer screen showing the results from an embryo assessment done by the company Nucleus. Uncredited/Nucleus IVF Treatment and Unused Embryos Some concern, particularly from religious groups, has been raised over the fact that this technology could result in unused embryos being destroyed. According to calculations by the Catholic television network EWTN, more embryos are likely destroyed during IVF treatment than via abortion each year. Catholic belief determines a new human life begins at the point of conception or fertilization, meaning the loss of these embryos equates to a loss of human life, making IVF itself an ethical issue. "IVF is morally condemned because it replaces, rather than assists, the sexual act of the couple in conceiving children and creates human life in a lab where the embryos are easily mistreated and even killed," Joseph Meaney, a past president and current senior fellow of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, told Newsweek. Meaney said gene therapy for embryos could be ethical as long as it was done to "treat or cure a genetic or medical defect." However, "It is not ethically acceptable to make genetic modifications to normal human beings with the intention of enhancement—defined as trying to create better than healthy human capacity," Meaney said, pointing to those who may wish to select embryos based on higher intelligence for example. Aware of these concerns, Sadeghi told Newsweek that Nucleus intends to overcome the issues "openly, transparently, and always guided by individual choice." "Everything we do is guided on the principle of responsible use of modern genomic science, and reproductive freedom," he added. Sadeghi said that until now, this sort of technology "has been discussed only behind closed doors—not in public." This means that Americans now have the opportunity to "listen to each other, hear each other out, and use this information to establish their views to ensure the insight Nucleus Embryo can provide is put to good use."
