Breathing Chicago's air like ‘smoking half-a-pack of cigarettes,' expert says

, and Dr. Ravi Kalhan, deputy division chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Northwestern Medicine, phrased the scope of the problem in an alarming way.

“The EPA index of 20 is equivalent to smoking one cigarette a day,” Kalhan said. “Today, the air quality index in Chicago has been approaching 200. That’s like smoking a half-a-pack of cigarettes a day.” Kalhan says such high-intensity exposures to wildfire smoke typically only last a few days, but with increasing exposure to low air quality, there is a chance for “long-term risks” to public health when it comes to heart and lung diseases.

Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weeklyChicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady emphasized the importance of wearing N95 masks for outdoor activities, particularly in areas affected by smoke. Those with chronic lung diseases and those with heart conditions should remain indoors, and anyone who will have prolonged time outdoors should consider wearing an N95 or KN95 mask, according to Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady.You can get the latest information on the wildfire smoke here.

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