NPR’s Ari Shapiro talks with Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Division of Public Well being, about how the state is responding to its latest heatwave.
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
California continues to be within the midst of what will be the worst warmth wave within the state’s historical past. And that poses enormous well being dangers. Within the U.S., excessive warmth is essentially the most lethal weather-related catastrophe. Dr. Tomas Aragon is director of the California Division of Public Well being. Welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.
TOMAS ARAGON: Hey.
SHAPIRO: What has been your high precedence this week as warmth in some components of the state bought up above 110 levels?
ARAGON: Our high precedence is absolutely, from the well being division perspective, is to get the phrase out for folks to essentially pay attention to the danger of elevated temperature. You understand, with this warmth being unprecedented, none of us within the state are acclimated to this excessive temperature, so it is actually necessary for folks to concentrate and to not take additional danger.
SHAPIRO: Usually that message consists of – keep inside, get to air con, do not be out within the solar. However California has loads of agricultural employees, development employees, individuals who cannot keep indoors the place it is cool. How do you be sure that everyone is protected in excessive warmth like this?
ARAGON: Yeah. So Cal/OSHA does have very strict tips for employers. And, actually, they’ve groups. They have been going out now for a number of days doing unannounced inspections to be sure that employers are following the legislation, ensuring that employees have entry to water, shade, frequent breaks and that they are capable of take breaks the place the temperature is extra managed.
SHAPIRO: California has, by far, the biggest homeless inhabitants within the U.S. What might be finished to guard individuals who haven’t got a cool place to go?
ARAGON: Yeah. So that is one thing that’s extremely necessary, and the native counties are actually spending loads of time in ensuring that they are reaching the homeless inhabitants, ensuring that they’ve entry to shelters which can be air conditioned. After which you’ve gotten a part of the inhabitants that does not need to go to a shelter – so ensuring that they’ve entry to assets, particularly issues like shade. I do know Los Angeles – they had been out giving popsicles, ensuring that folks had entry to assets in order that they’ll keep cooler.
SHAPIRO: Do you’ve gotten any indication but of whether or not this warmth wave has triggered any deaths?
ARAGON: One of many challenges with warmth waves is that the variety of folks that really find yourself being impacted goes past those who can be identified with a heat-related sickness. We have a tendency to think about folks creating warmth exhaustion or warmth stroke, and a few of them will find yourself within the emergency room and be handled. The opposite factor that occurs is that you’ve people who find themselves already sick to start with. They might be on drugs. They’ve a persistent medical situation, and it exacerbates any underlying situation they have already got. Anyone who has their coronary heart failure has now bought worse or they’ve points with their lungs, and that is been exacerbated. So what we find yourself seeing is absolutely a rise of individuals coming in for all several types of causes.
SHAPIRO: Lots of people in California haven’t got air con as a result of they did not want it earlier than. However now that looks as if a public well being situation. What can the state do about that?
ARAGON: That is an extremely necessary space, particularly as we’re transferring ahead. There’s components of the state, particularly across the coastal areas, the place each the buildings and the our bodies are usually not acclimated to excessive temperatures. And you may have in a very brief time period – the temperature goes up. You possibly can have a complete area alongside the coast who might actually get into hassle. And so folks have to begin planning now, ensuring your shades are down. If you do not have air con, one of many issues you may take into consideration is, is there one room within the house or within the constructing, a typical space, you could settle down as a result of generally it isn’t possible to chill down a complete constructing or the entire house? But when you may get at one particular space you could hold cool, if folks go into that house for only a couple – few hours a day, it makes an enormous distinction in bringing the physique temperature down and preserving folks protected.
SHAPIRO: Dr. Tomas Aragon is director of California’s Division of Public Well being. Thanks very a lot.
ARAGON: Thanks very a lot.
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