Haze from western wildfires making breathing extra difficult for some COVID long-haulers
NEW YORK - Wildfires are scorching parts of the west and thousands of miles closer to home, much of the northeast is feeling the effects.
"It is extremely difficult to breathe" said Anita Levine, a COVID long hauler.
Levine caught COVID-19 in March 2020. The 65-year-old has been dealing with breathing issues ever since.
The air quality in parts of the northeast is only making Anita’s days that much harder. After developing asthma, on hazy, hot and humid days, she has trouble breathing and most of time has to stay inside and not go to work.
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"People with long COVID or acute COVID have a tremendous amount of inflammation in the lungs so with air quality on top of that just exacerbates the underlying disease," said Dr. Len Horovitz of Lenox Hill Hospital.
Horovitz is seeing more and more former COVID-19 patients call with breathing problems.
More haze could return this week as those wildfires continue to rage out west. As for those COVID long haulers and those with compromised breathing, doctors suggest staying inside, blasting the AC and getting lots of rest.