Northeast hospitals say poor air quality hasn’t led to a big increase in patients

Orange haze—fueled by wildfires raging in Canada—flooded New York City and other parts of the Northeast this week, sparking public health concerns and a renewed interest in N95 mask fashion.

But the air—which created apocalyptic-like scenes—hasn’t brought the same sense of doom to many East Coast hospitals, at least not yet.

Northwell Health spokesperson Joe Kemp told Healthcare Brew that despite “anecdotal reports of a mild increase in asthma and wheezing cases,” New York’s largest health system had not seen “a significant increase in overall volume at Northwell hospital emergency departments or in cases with respiratory illnesses” as of Wednesday night.

“At our GoHealth urgent care centers in the New York metropolitan area, there has been a slight increase in sore throats and eye-related complaints,” he said in a Thursday afternoon email. “But we are anticipating an increase in respiratory illnesses and are stocking supplies accordingly.”

However, by Thursday, Northwell emergency departments had seen “a mild increase of respiratory illness.” That rise was more significant at the Long Island-based system’s New York City locations.

“At Lenox Health Greenwich Village, for example, the number of asthma treatments were more than double the average,” he said.

In Philadelphia, Temple Health’s emergency department also had “not seen an increase in patients coming in with respiratory issues related to the smoke/poor air quality,” spokesperson Jeremy Walter told us.

Philadelphia Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole told reporters Thursday that early data suggested a similar situation was playing out at other area hospitals.

“I’ve been reaching out to our hospital partners and interestingly, they are not seeing an uptick. One hospital saw a slight uptick; the others are telling me that their numbers are at baseline or even a little bit lower,” she said. “I think people really have been paying attention to this warning and staying inside. That’s probably why we’re not seeing more of an uptick.”

In Boston—which saw the worst of its wildfire haze earlier in the week—Massachusetts General Hospital spokesperson Brandon Chase told us the hospital’s emergency department had not seen a rise in patients with respiratory symptoms in recent days. Nor had nearby Boston Medical Center, according to spokesperson Michelle Falinski.

“BMC has not seen an uptick in asthma or lung-related cases,” she said in a Thursday email.

Still, public health officials urged East Coast residents to limit exposure to the outdoors—or at least mask up—as the poor air quality can exacerbate heart conditions and lung disorders.

Bettigole said the city’s air quality poses health risks to all people, as the particles in the pollution “can penetrate deeply into fragile lung tissue, causing symptoms including cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing.”

“This is the reason we recommend minimizing outdoor time and wearing a high-quality mask if you do need to go outside,” she said.

New York State Acting Health Commissioner James McDonald urged New Yorkers with underlying conditions to “adjust their activities accordingly” in a Wednesday statement.

New York City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan was more blunt in a Thursday NY1 interview: “Stay indoors if you can.”