A small number of students have been seeking care at Wardenburg due to smoke from the Fourmile Canyon fire, according to Dr. Donald Misch, assistant vice chancellor for health and wellness and director of Wardenburg Health Center.
“Maybe as many as 10 students have come in with exacerbation of asthma,” Misch said. “We [also] had a few students come in and ask for N95 masks.”
In addition to personal visits, Misch said Wardenburg has also received phone calls.
As of late afternoon on Monday, Boulder Community Hospital had seen only one patient for problems related to smoke, according to the Denver Post.
According to Boulder County news releases on Monday and Wednesday, those who have pre-existing heart, lung, or respiratory conditions, as well as residents without these ailments, have the potential to experience health complications due to the fire.
Residents are encourage to stay indoors, windows and doors should be kept closed unless temperatures outside rise significantly and air conditioning units should be run with the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean, according to Boulder County Public Health.
For students in the dorms without as much control, Misch said he suggests following Boulder County Public Health’s recommendation.
“I think if you are at risk and could be extremely affected, you may well want to stay inside,” Misch said.
Misch, who said his own eyes are watering today from the smoke, said even otherwise-healthy people need to use caution and not exert themselves in these conditions.
“I’m not saying you can’t exercise,” he said. “You should be very aware of the symptoms mentioned on the [Wardenburg] website and stop if you need to. Even for healthy people, the smoke can have an effect.”
These symptoms include coughing, chest discomfort, shortness of breath and inability to breathe normally, according to the Wardenburg website.
For those who want to wear N95 masks while outside, a limited number will be available to CU faculty, staff and students at Wardenburg. Students can also pick them up at the Libby front desk, Stearns West front desk in Williams Village, Kittredge West front desk and the Family Housing main office, according to the website.
Misch said masks are ineffective without proper use.
“The issue is making sure it is fitted, and there are ways to test it,” he said.
For instructions on how to wear the N95 mask, visit the Wardenburg website where there is a pdf available.
As smoke continues to float over Boulder, Misch said it is hard to determine how many more students will come in seeking care.
“I suspect we’ll [see] some but I don’t know when or how many,” he said. “So much depends on the wind; that’s the bottom line.”
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Emily Zarka at Emilly.zarka@colorado.edu.
