Air Quality Awareness Week...

Shared by our local NWS:

This week marks the beginning of the ozone season for many areas inthe United States. Today we highlight the health impacts of poor air quality. You are exposed to airborne contamination every time you breathe polluted air. But when you exercise...work in the yard...or do other strenuous activities that make you breathe harder and faster...you inhale even more polluted air into your lungs. Exposure to high levels of ozone and particle pollution is linked with a number of significant health problems. Children...people with lung disease...older adults and people with heart disease tend to be more vulnerable. When pollution reaches high enough levels...the air can be unhealthy for everyone...especially if you are active outdoors. You can help protect yourself simply by changing the time orintensity of your activities. Use the air quality index and daily air quality forecasts to help you determine when you need to make changes. The a...q...i is a color coded scale that tells you who needs to take steps to reduce exposure to ozone or particle pollution.

• Local air quality forecasts are available at www.airnow.gov .
• Use air quality forecast guidance at www.weather.gov/aq to find map projections of when and where the air you breathe is expected to have high amounts of pollutants.

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Swine Flu Awareness

Our emergency management office, city management from both Amarillo & Canyon, county judges, healthcare community, school & college communities have been in constant communication and participating in statewide emergency operations conference calls since late last week. We have been discussing our existing pandemic influenza plans as well as discussing precautionary actions for the current Swine Flu outbreak. Daily statewide conference calls are being monitored by our staff & the healthcare community to ensure we have the latest information on the situation and state operations.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY HEALTHY

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

Try to avoid close contact with sick people

• Influenza is though to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

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