3 days ago
Alerts Urging People to Monitor Themselves for Coughs Return to One State
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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Air quality officials are once again advising people in Wisconsin to monitor themselves for symptoms such as coughs as Canadian wildfire smoke descends across the state.
National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Todd Rieck, who works at the La Crosse, Wisconsin, office, told Newsweek that Thursday might be the worst day for smoke impacts.
Why It Matters
Over the past few weeks, wildfire smoke from Canada has descended into the U.S. and worsened the air quality in some states. Among them, Wisconsin has been on high alert, with residents advised to monitor themselves for symptoms such as coughs if they are exposed to the polluted air.
Earlier this week, much of the smoke dissipated but has once again returned.
What to Know
Much of Wisconsin is under the air quality alert, which was issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Thursday morning. The alert encompasses northern, northcentral, northeastern, southwestern and central Wisconsin.
A stock photo shows a woman coughing while outdoors.
A stock photo shows a woman coughing while outdoors.
Liubomyr Vorona/Getty
Current air quality monitoring shows that air quality has reached levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups in parts of central and southwestern Wisconsin.
Sensitive groups such as those with respiratory diseases, asthma, or children and the elderly were advised to be particularly cautious and monitor themselves for symptoms such as coughing.
"Make outdoor activities shorter and less intense. It is OK to be active outdoors but take more breaks," the alert said. "Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. People with asthma: Follow your asthma action plan and keep quick relief medicine handy. People with heart disease: Symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue may indicate a serious problem. If you have any of these, contact your health care provider."
Air quality alerts are also in place in Montana, Minnesota, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, and New Jersey, but these alerts didn't mention coughing.
Earlier in the week, the smoke prompted alerts in Minnesota, in which people were asked to keep their windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting inside their homes.
What People Are Saying
Rieck told Newsweek: "Currently the upper-level flow is allowing for more air to filter southeast over the last couple days and especially today, it might be the worst of the bunch. As we start to move into the weekend, we should start getting a little more ridging in the upper atmosphere, so that's going to bump the winds back north. The smoke should follow suit and stay mostly farther to the north as a result, and the air quality should improve as we get into the weekend."
An air quality alert in place in Wisconsin said: "Canadian wildfire smoke has mixed down to the surface, leading to enhanced PM2.5 concentrations."
What Happens Next
The air quality alert will remain in place until Thursday. Improved air quality will move in from the north and east, the alert said.
