It’s another day where the high temperature is expected to get a few degrees above 100-degrees. Office of Public Health Deputy Assistant Secretary Devin George says 25 people have died as a result of heat-related illnesses since June up from the 16 reported deaths on August 4th.
“We are concerned about the increase but we do want everybody to remember to take precautions and stay out of the heat.”
Since April 1, there have been 4,766 heat-related emergency visits in Louisiana. George says outdoor workers, pregnant women, older adults, and people with pre-existing conditions are at higher risk. He says to encourage Louisiana residents to know the signs…
“Some of the big signs are heavy sweating, fast and weak pulse, dizziness, nausea, cramps, confusion, and headache especially when you’ve been out in the heat periods of time.”
Georges suggests residents to limit outdoor activity, drink plenty of fluids, stay in the shade, wear light-colored clothing, and stay in air-conditioned spaces to avoid heat-related illnesses. He says a new tool will be launched to track the danger of extreme heat poses on public health.
“And we’re going to be publishing a public-facing dashboard that we’re going to update on a weekly basis so everyone stays informed and can see kind of the break down of these deaths and where we’re at.”
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