advertisement

Editorial: Meeting the challenge of heat + COVID-19

Heart disorders. High blood pressure. Breathing problems. Diabetes. Kidney disease. Cancer.

Those health problems increase the chances of severe illness and death from a COVID-19 infection, as we've heard many times in recent weeks.

The same factors, along with advanced age and low income, make a person more susceptible to illness and death during heat waves, threatening to set up a cascade of health hazards for a vulnerable group of people at a particularly difficult time, says a study published by the National Institutes of Health.

Many places in the suburbs where people might go to keep cool - public libraries, community centers or movie theaters - remain closed. Many people older than 65 who are most likely to keep to themselves because of COVID-19 are also most likely to need options to escape the heat if they lack air-conditioning or won't use it because they can't pay the electric bill.

People in the Chicago area recognize that well, having been schooled about the ravages of excessive heat almost exactly 25 years ago. Beginning July 12, 1995, five days of high temperatures topping 100 killed 739 people in the city alone.

Temperatures aren't expected to hit the 100s in the coming week, but consistent highs in the 90s pose a threat. Some suburbs are finding ways to provide relief even in the face of COVID-19 restrictions, but there is more that could be done.

Meanwhile, more responsibility for the well-being of seniors, shut-ins and others is falling on neighbors, friends, family and community members. Frequent check-ins are more important than ever at times like this, when the needs of people in our communities might be hidden behind closed doors.

Some in the suburbs set examples of practical ways to help. Aurora officials opened the city's Transportation Center so community members can cool off while maintaining social distancing, <URL destination="https://www.dailyherald.com/news/20200708/cooling-centers-closed-how-aurora-other-communities-are-providing-heat-relief-amid-covid-19">the Daily Herald's Lauren Rohr wrote on Tuesday.

</URL>PADS of Lake County and Palatine-based Journeys|The Road Home, which typically open as cooling centers, instead have placed homeless people in hotels for safety from the pandemic and the heat wave.

Many others worry about paying to keep their homes cool. An Illinois moratorium on residential utility disconnections will help people keep their AC going this month, but should be kept in force for the duration of the summer.

Extreme weather is just another of 2020's challenges, but it must be dealt with in a way that keeps the neediest among us safe.

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.