Weather
Because of Sahara dust: More people in Athens emergency rooms
Tourists walk on Lycabettus Hill as the sky over Athens with the ancient Acropolis Hill in the background is clouded due to Saharan dust. photo
© Petros Giannakouris/AP/dpa
For some it is an impressive natural spectacle, but many people in Greece are currently suffering massively from huge clouds of African dust.
Shortness of breath, cough, chest pain – due to large quantities With Sahara dust in the air, more people in Athens presented themselves to hospital emergency rooms than usual. Doctors also sounded the alarm on the island of Crete and in the city of Kalamata: In many cases, people there turned to pulmonologists, the newspaper reported. To Proto Theme”.
Experts had already warned about the weather situation and, in particular, advised people with respiratory diseases and allergies not to spend time outdoors. The Greek Pulmonology Association said the African dust contained even the smallest particles that could penetrate deep into the lungs. The dust is also associated with cardiovascular diseases.
As the day progressed, the sky over Athens turned a deep red because of the dust and, in addition to difficulty breathing, also created a dim, oppressive atmosphere.