Apr 17 11:30 am
by Helen Salgado
After the two tragedies in Petrópolis, the city’s streets were filled with mud. In the sun, this mud dries up and turns to dust. With the release of the use of mask in open and closed environments, breathing this dust can be bad for health. The infectologist at Unimed Petrópolis, Maurício Machado, explains the reason and gives tips on the main care.
The first of them, according to the specialist, is the continuous use of the mask to avoid respiratory diseases. “I highlight here a factor that is not always considered by the population as an element of prevention of such diseases: the humidity of our environment. We are entering, since March 20th, the driest season, when it rains less, the skies are beautiful with their blue color, and the relative humidity of the air drops a lot, causing droughts and even the routine burning of low vegetation. this time of year. It is recommended that we wear masks, not only preventing against COVID-19, in all its variants, but also against our possible contamination by the biologically polluted atmosphere that soon, in these coming weeks, we will be breathing on all public roads in the city. .”
He explains that the dust on the streets of Petrópolis came from the water from the mud runoff, which, when dry, releases dusty contents, whose physical composition will determine the aggressiveness of the diseases it causes: bronchitis, tracheitis, sinusitis, pneumonia and, in the long run, time, until the evolution to chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, such as pulmonary emphysema, for example.
Main care
The infectologist also spoke about the care that must be taken with the dust on the streets caused by the floods. “Avoid performing in street environments where dust from dried mud is dispersed in the atmosphere.” Mauritius highlights the following measures:
- use the famous disposable masks whenever you go out in a dusty environment;
- take care of personal hygiene with a daily bath; if possible, as long as you are in a constantly dusty environment, take at least two showers a day, washing the clothes you were wearing since your last shower;
- to focus on body hydration practices, drinking adequate amounts of liquids, reducing the consumption of salt in the diet;
- wash the nostrils with saline solution and apply water to the face, drying the face with paper towels. In addition, of course, care must be taken not to raise dust with unnecessary street sweeps, for example.
Air conditioning cleaning
Another important detail is cleaning the filters of air-conditioning equipment in offices, work rooms, dental offices and medical offices. The doctor warns that duly qualified teams must be called for such activity.
