Smoke from wildfires burning throughout California and Oregon is expected to linger in the Bay Area through the end of the week, leading to unhealthy air in certain parts of the region that can be especially harmful to people with underlying health conditions.
Unfortunately, Bay Area residents will probably have to cope with varying degrees of unhealthy air as the 2020 fire season continues through November. That means that residents should prepare to stay indoors as much as possible on smoky days, keep their windows closed, consider investing in ozone-free air purifiers and even arrange to leave the area until the bad air clears.
But people shouldn’t expect much protection from the bandanas or surgical masks they have become accustomed to wearing in public to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Experts also caution against relying on the more sought-after N95 respirator masks because they are in short supply.
With wildfire smoke, microscopic soot particles, about 2.5 microns in size, can be inhaled and cause inflammation, explained John Balmes, a professor of medicine at UC San Francisco, in an article published on the university’s website.
For healthy people, exposure to these airborne particles irritates the eyes, sinuses and airways and can cause coughing and dry, scratchy throats. Breathing in these particles can be particularly hard on children, people 65 and older and pregnant women and especially harmful to people who have chronic respiratory conditions, such as asthma.
“There is no question that wildfire smoke can exacerbate these pre-existing conditions,” Balmes said.
There also is concern that poor air quality from the wildfires could increase the severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Dr. Stephanie Christenson, an assistant professor of pulmonology at UC San Francisco, said this concern is based on preliminary research linking air pollution to increased COVID-19 susceptibility, severity and death.
Because of the pandemic, people should continue to wear cloth and surgical masks in public, because they block respiratory droplets and help slow the spread of the coronavirus, Christenson said. Unfortunately, these masks don’t block out the “very, very small” toxic particles from wildfire smoke, she said.
The Environmental Protection Agency explains in safety guidelines for wildfire smoke that these types of masks are too loose-fitting to keep out smoke particles, which also can pass through cloth.
In previous years, people also have turned to N95 respirator masks to protect themselves against inhaling smoke particles, according to the EPA.
But most experts say N95 masks should only be used as a last resort. For one thing, they should be reserved for health care workers during the pandemic. The California Department of Public Health states on its website: “Don’t buy N95 respirator masks for personal use. They are part of PPE needed by medical professionals.”
It’s also hard to make sure these masks fit properly, and the EPA says that even properly fitted N95 masks don’t filter out toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, that are present in wood smoke, and they don’t provide oxygen.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District added that N95 masks are difficult to use for long periods of time. People also have to be careful about taking a mask on and off, and they shouldn’t reuse saved N95 masks.
The bottom line from experts for breathing safely when wildfire smoke blankets the region: Stay indoors. “My advice to the public is that people should be sheltering in place as much as possible,” Balmes said. “Stay home with windows closed, ventilation turned to recirculate, and if possible, have a clean air room with a HEPA air purifying appliance.”
Christianson added that it’s a good idea to check local air quality through the Bay Area Air Quality Management site or the EPA’s Air Now website. On certain days, it may not smell or look particularly smoky out, but sometimes the “air quality can be worse than it looks.”
How bad is the air quality in your neighborhood? Here’s how to check.
