It’s day four of the haze that has descended on New York, from uncontrolled Canadian wildfires. Smoky conditions are expected to continue for the next few days, but it's not expected to be as bad as Wednesday, when the Air Quality Index rose to nearly 500, which is considered hazardous.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that 1 million N95 masks will be available at state facilities, like state parks, and will also be distributed to local governments for people who want them.
"This is expected to go for the next few days. There was some thought yesterday this would abate by Friday," Hochul said. "I just received an update minutes ago that that is not expected, so people need to prepare for this over the long haul."
So far, there hasn’t been a spike in pediatric or adult emergency room patients showing symptoms related to air quality at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Pulmonologist Dr. Auyon Ghosh said that doesn’t mean there won’t be accumulating symptoms for people with chronic lung illnesses.
"We may not be seeing the effects just yet," Ghosh. "Where’s in a couple days or a week or so, we may start seeing people who have been exposed all this week, who’s symptoms have slowly started building up and say hey look, I’m really feeling it now, I can’t deal with this on my own and I need some help.”
Ghosh said individuals with asthma and COPD, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, are the most likely to be affected. He also warned that small children and older people may also feel greater effects of the smoke.
According to the National Weather Service, the heaviest of the smoke may push west of central New York Thursday. A new weather system expected to push through the region this weekend could cause the winds to shift, pushing the smoke away from much of New York.
