WILDFIRES TO STOKE CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS

As deadly wildfires ravage Western states, doctors are warning that bad air quality from the smoke could make people more vulnerable to coronavirus infections, according to KCRA 3 News.

"Multiple studies have shown a correlation between higher levels of pollution in the air and greater spread and severity of COVID-19 cases," said Dr. Brad Spellberg, chief medical officer of the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center.

He cited several studies conducted in the United States, China and Italy, saying some have also shown that exposure of lung tissue to pollution may increase susceptibility to viral infections.

Smoke from wildfires can irritate the lungs and cause inflammation that can affect the immune system, said Dr. Rekha Murthy, an infectious disease specialist and vice president of medical affairs at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. That inflammation can make people more at risk of lung infections.

"Whenever the lining of the lung or the airways become inflamed or damaged, it increases the potential for inhaled viral particles to take hold in the lungs and cause infection," Murthy said.

To prevent the possible spread of coronavirus, those remaining indoors due to poor air quality should stay away from anyone who is not in their immediate household, said Dr. Leana Wen, a CNN medical analyst and ER physician.

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