Updated on Jun 8, 2023 | Featured, Your Health

On an average day, New York has an air quality index of 30, considered “good.” Because of current wild fires in Canada, the score has risen to 160 and above, in the “unhealthy” range.
You have probably noticed the hazy skies throughout the New York City area. Health experts say everyone should pay close attention. That poor-quality air is unhealthy, especially for vulnerable people, including those with asthma or heart conditions, as well as younger kids and older adults.
The poor air quality, the result of wildfires in Canada, is expected to persist for several days, and it’s something you can actually feel. Experts say you should consider limiting your time outside, especially if you are exercising or doing strenuous tasks; keeping your windows closed at home; and wearing a high-quality N95 or KN95 mask if you need to go out. Those most at risk should stay indoors.
“Many people may have noticed the hazy conditions, but not realized they should be concerned—especially younger people and the elderly, who are at greater risk,” says Linda Rogers, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “I think we all should be looking out for the most vulnerable; they are the ones that are at most risk right now. But this has crossed a threshold where the public will feel this.”
Click
here for more specific information for parents about kids and air quality.
In this Q&A, Dr. Rogers, who is also Director of the Adult Asthma Program, offers a number of other tips, including what type of mask to consider wearing, whether to turn on your air conditioner, and who is most at risk.
How bad has the air quality been in New York City because of these wildfires?
Our air quality has been in a zone that’s considered dangerous to health, and not just dangerous to sensitive populations. We crossed the threshold where there may be some health effects noticed in otherwise healthy individuals, and it’s something that’s probably hazardous to people who are either elderly, very young, or have underlying heart or lung disease, or other sort of significant health conditions. It’s not something people are normally aware of, though most people going outside will realize that something is up.

Linda Rogers, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine)
How can I tell what the air quality is like in my neighborhood right now?
A good way to see what the air quality is like right now, where you live, is the website AirNow.gov. This site offers a composite score for what we call the big five pollutants—ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. A good score is less than 50. On an average day in New York, we are around 30; we have pretty good air quality. Once it starts getting up over 50, there may be risks for sensitive people. During August, this score can reach 100, due to a combination of heat, humidity, and pollution. Recently the score has risen to 160 due to the wildfires. Any of the common weather apps people have on their phones are also a good source of this information.
What does it mean when the air quality reaches the unhealthy levels we have seen lately?
That’s the red zone. That’s where even healthy members of the general public are going to feel it. The effects on the general public may be mild; it may just be a matter of feeling irritation in your nose or throat. But for really sensitive groups, this is a level that could trigger asthma attacks or flare-ups of other lung diseases, and pose a risk for those already at risk for heart attacks and strokes.
What safety precautions should I take when air quality is at an unhealthy level?
The best thing to do is stay inside with the windows closed. If you have to go outside, make it as short as possible. I don’t think anybody should exercise outdoors while the air quality is at these levels. When you’re exercising, you are taking in more of these contaminants. It depends on your personal circumstances, but when levels are between 100 and 150, you may want to consider limiting outdoor exercise, especially kids.
Should I wear a mask?
You should consider wearing a high-quality mask, such as an N95 or KN95 mask. Surgical-style masks will not be helpful. Those masks offer at least partial protection from viruses transmitted by droplets, but they do not protect you from the extremely small particles that are being produced by these wildfires. And even the N95 and KN95 masks cannot protect you from the gases, such as carbon monoxide, that are being produced by the fires.
What about working outside?
I think it depends on your underlying health, your age, your circumstances, what the work involves, and what the air quality is in the area that you’re working. If you have to work outside, a high-quality N95 mask will be a great idea if it’s possible for you.
Does it help to use my air conditioner?
Air conditioners vary tremendously in terms of how old they are, how they’re built, and what kind of filters they have in their use. Closing your windows and using an air conditioner is better than having the windows open. Ideally, your air conditioning system has a high-efficiency filter. Air purifiers can also help.
Who is most at risk?
Young kids are more at risk because they tend to breathe at faster rates with higher volumes. When there’s an elevated pollutant like this, they’re generally getting more exposure. The elderly are at higher risk for heart and lung disease and have other underlying health conditions. Those with lung diseases, notably asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD), are often sensitive to environmental triggers like this, or changes in weather, temperatures, and humidity. Many of those with asthma, for example, often reach out to their doctors in advance to make sure they have emergency medication on hand. But it can be different for those with heart conditions.
What should people with heart disease know about this?
People with heart disease may not be aware that they are at increased risk, but these high levels of pollutants have been linked to visits to emergency rooms with cardiovascular conditions. People who are at risk may want to consider staying indoors to the extent possible. It’s also important to note that there may be a lag in the onset of symptoms. It may take a while for the contaminants you are breathing in to have an effect on your blood vessels. That is why we may sometimes see a lag in visits to the emergency department. The health effects can persist and escalate from 24 to 48 hours after the air quality levels are at their worst.
What are the signs that the air quality is affecting a typical, healthy person?
When the air quality index gets above 100, and then over 150, as it has recently done, you’re going to feel throat irritation, nasal irritation, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat—almost cold-like symptoms except without a fever. Some people may feel chest discomfort and headaches. These aren’t particularly dangerous. But for those with underlying conditions, such as lung disease and allergies, they can cause more severe debilitating symptoms. The air is unhealthy for everyone, but some groups are at risk of significant health effects.

Details of the air quality index from the federal government’s AirNow.gov site.
Updated on May 26, 2023 | Community, Featured

“Tonight, we celebrate Mount Sinai’s ability to provide the highest-quality health care, educate the next generation of great clinicians and researchers, and generate scientific breakthroughs that advance the capabilities of modern medicine,” Dennis S. Charney, MD, said in his opening remarks.
For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mount Sinai Health System Crystal Party tent was up and abuzz in Central Park’s Conservatory Garden. Beneath its rainbow big top, nearly 800 physicians, faculty, staff, trustees, supporters, and friends of the Mount Sinai Health System collected to celebrate the past year’s research and health care advances, achieved under extraordinary conditions. The event, held Thursday, May 4, raised $3 million in support of the Health System.
The 38th annual celebration kicked off with remarks from Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Tonight, we celebrate Mount Sinai’s ability to provide the highest-quality health care, educate the next generation of great clinicians and researchers, and generate scientific breakthroughs that advance the capabilities of modern medicine,” he said.
Dr. Charney made a special effort to highlight some of Mount Sinai’s proudest, current research achievements.
“Our scientists have begun human clinical trials of a diabetes drug they discovered that has the potential to be transformative,” he said. “A drug that can regenerate the pancreatic cells that produce insulin. This could be nothing less than a cure for type 2 diabetes. In recent months, Mount Sinai researchers have also identified an immune cell that helps kill bladder cancer tumors, identified genes strongly linked to autism, and conducted an unprecedented analysis of immune cells in the brain that appear to play a key role in the genetic risk and development of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Turning his attention to the leading patient care enabled by the generosity of Mount Sinai’s donors, Dr. Charney said, “Today, Mount Sinai is serving more patients, with more advanced services than ever before, as we’ve significantly expanded our ambulatory footprint across the five boroughs and Long Island. After performing the world’s first human tracheal transplant, Mount Sinai established the Institute for Airway Sciences to advance new therapies for patients with diseases of the trachea, lung, and sinuses.”
Looking to the future, he shared news of a number of capital improvement projects under consideration, to further enhance patient care.
“The next phase of the expansion and modernization of the Saul Family Emergency Department at The Mount Sinai Hospital will be finished in July. It will include a new acute care zone, an observation unit, and a separate Geriatrics Emergency Department to complement our new Children’s Emergency Department,” he said. “Early next year, we will open new offices at Mount Sinai West for the Bonnie and Tom Strauss Movement Disorders Center and the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics. And our next great project—the Tisch Cancer Hospital—will begin construction next month.”
Dr. Charney thanked the donors in the audience for their partnership and closed by saying, “It is no exaggeration to say that the return on your investment can be measured in diseases cured and lives saved.”
The event included three moving patient stories during a video tribute.
As these moving stories of patient successes came to a close, Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, came to the podium.

“Mount Sinai’s work over the past three years in our hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and labs has burnished their reputation as one of the truly great academic medical centers, not only in this country but in the world,” Richard A. Friedman, Co-Chair of Mount Sinai Health System Boards of Trustees, said in his concluding remarks.
“Three years ago,” he observed, “you would not have found a single soul in this beautiful garden in this area. New York City was in lockdown and the only tents in Central Park were those of Samaritans First, where our doctors were caring for COVID-19 patients for whom there were no hospital beds. That was a moment of crisis when Mount Sinai was busy saving thousands of lives. Tonight, years later, it’s finally time to toast all that the Mount Sinai Health System does for our community and for humanity through the advancement of biomedicine.”
As he concluded, reminding everyone in attendance of the importance of their philanthropy to saving lives, Mr. Friedman stated, “Mount Sinai’s work over the past three years in our hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and labs has burnished their reputation as one of the truly great academic medical centers, not only in this country but in the world. So, my tribute is to all the doctors, the faculty, the researchers, and everyone at Mount Sinai.”