Nguoi Viet Daily News, the longest running Vietnamese-language daily newspaper in the U.S., recently featured Heluna Health’s Director of Research and Evaluation, Jo Kay Ghosh, PhD, in a story about the impact of wildfires on public health.
Ghosh shared the results of a recent Heluna Health study, which found that nearly half of adults in the western United States reported being affected by wildfire smoke in the past three years.
“People in the vicinity of wildfires will be exposed to smoke, and long-term exposure will cause serious respiratory health effects,” Ghosh said in the interview with Nguoi Viet. “The smoke even affects mental health.”
Psychological effects can include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as people who directly experience wildfires may have symptoms such as flashbacks, insomnia or lingering feelings of fear.
Ghosh emphasized that it’s crucial for residents in wildfire-prone areas to stay updated on severe weather information and have an evacuation plan and emergency kit with essential items. A list of recommended emergency kit items can be found here. A key component of an emergency kit is a dust mask or N95 respirator to help mitigate the effects of airborne ash and other contaminants.
“In addition to smoke causing air pollution, the gases and ash released after forest fires are also very serious and have a significant impact on residents’ health,” Ghosh said.
Ghosh told Nguoi Viet that some additional ways to protect against wildfire ash include staying indoors with doors and windows closed, not using leaf blowers, and wearing eye protection if you have to go outside to clean up ash.
Ghosh said that Heluna Health’s research has identified opportunities for increased community outreach and education to improve community and household preparedness.
Click here to read the full story (in Vietnamese) on Nguoi Viet.
