Calgary’s air quality has deteriorated significantly due to thick wildfire smoke, with doctors urging residents to take precautions. As of noon Thursday, Calgary’s air quality health index was listed at 10-plus, or “very high risk.” Conditions fluctuated rapidly, dropping to a “high risk” level of 8 by 1 p.m. and then to 6, categorized as “moderate risk,” by 3 p.m.
Dr. Kerri Johannson, a lung specialist and clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary, emphasized the severity of the situation. “The air quality in Calgary right now is some of the worst that we ever get and some of the worst that we’ve ever seen,” she stated. “This isn’t good for anybody. Having this chronic, repeated, long-term exposure to high concentrations of pollution like this is risky.”
An air quality advisory issued for Calgary stated that everyone should limit their time outdoors. “During heavy smoke conditions, everyone is at risk regardless of their age or health. The fine particles in wildfire smoke pose the main health risk,” the advisory noted.
Healthy individuals may experience symptoms such as itchy eyes, a stuffy nose, and throat irritation. However, Dr. Johannson highlighted that certain groups are particularly vulnerable, including seniors, babies, young children, pregnant people, and those with chronic health conditions like asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, and pulmonary fibrosis. These groups are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activities altogether.
“Asthma, for example, can worsen due to smoke exposure,” Johannson said. “Those can be anywhere from mild, sort of irritating, worsening symptoms to life-threatening exacerbations. We know from prior data that air pollution and wildfire smoke increases the risk of asthma exacerbations, leading people to come to the emergency department and needing to be hospitalized, needing to change their medications.”
Other types of lung disease and even acute heart disease can also be exacerbated. “Studies have shown that air pollution exposure increases the risk of heart attacks,” Johannson explained. “There are these acute inflammatory processes that happen when your lung tissue has been exposed to all this particulate matter, leading to systemic inflammation in the body. So these are some of the things that we worry about.”
Dr. Johannson advised people with chronic heart and lung conditions to ensure they have their medications, such as inhalers, readily available and to use them as prescribed. “Consider this to be a high-risk scenario. And just be really diligent and vigilant with managing your underlying disease well,” she said.
Alberta Health Services urges anyone experiencing symptoms related to poor air quality to call Health Link at 811. Dr. Eddy Lang, clinical department head for emergency medicine in the Calgary zone, confirmed that patients with chronic respiratory diseases worsened by the smoke are seeking treatment. However, the total number of ER visits due to coughing and shortness of breath hasn’t significantly increased over the past few days.
Lang described Calgary’s air quality as “quite dangerous” and recommended that at-risk individuals stay indoors. “Even if you’re perfectly healthy, we don’t know what the long-term health consequences are.… It can have more serious long-term effects. So it’s probably wiser to avoid, stay indoors [and] do your exercise indoors if that’s possible.”
The air quality advisory also suggests keeping doors and windows closed while inside and using high-quality air filters or indoor air purifiers to filter out particles. For those who must be outdoors, well-fitting respirator masks, such as N95s, are recommended. “Even though exposure may be reduced, there can still be risks to health,” the advisory stated.