Dense wildfire smoke brings more patients to Redmond urgent care clinic

Some can have trouble discerning symptoms of smoke, COVID-19

REDMOND, Ore (KTVZ) -- With thick wildfire smoke shrouding the views across much of Central Oregon, and poor air quality to show for it, many people are being negatively affected, and some are seeking medical help.

Debora Wattenburg, the owner and operations manager of Your Care Urgent Care in Redmond, said Monday the facility has experienced a 50 percent increase in patient care, compared to this time last year, and she said the smoke is a leading reason why.

However, she also said it may be a little more complicated than that.

"The smoke is driving people in, I believe, because of a fear of Covid," said Wattenburg said.

Wattenburg said it's difficult for people to distinguish the cause of some symptoms like a raspy and dry throat or breathing struggles, because these are symptoms that poor air quality may be the cause of.

When asked if the smoke aggravates Covid-19 symptoms, she said it's certainly not limited to that.

"The smoke alone will increase anyone's negative symptoms, whether they are having itchy eyes, burning eyes, congestion," Wattenburg said.

She pointed out that last year, many people were not seeking out the care they actually needed during the pandemic, but now people are needing to identify whether their symptoms are related to the smoke, or Covid-19 in their work spaces.

Wattenburg suggested a few safety precautions for people to take under these smoky conditions.

"Wearing a mask is not a bad idea, and be careful about really heavy exercise outside," she said.

Additionally, she said, it's important to stay out of the smoke, as much as possible. For those who must go outdoors, she advised you should limit the amount of time you're outside based on how dense the smoke is.

Other measures would be to use your medication in advance, if you have respiratory issues, and of course seek medical care if you are still having difficulties.