Thousands of music lovers are in Chicago this weekend for the Lollapalooza festival. But, the trip is not without its risks. Officials at the National Weather Service (NWS) and the Respiratory Health Association (RHA) issued warnings over 'dangerous' air quality in the city.
"It'll trigger asthma attacks. It'll trigger increases in emergency room visits and hospitalizations for breathing problems," Brian Urbaszewski, Director of Environmental Health Programs for the RHA, told WGN9.
As of this morning, Chicago is in the top five for the worst air quality index of any major city in the world. Brian noted that the smoke came from "Canadian wildfires" and is connected to "strokes and heart attacks."
While the air quality might not be the best, Lollapalooza is sure to see large crowds. Organizers expect 100,000 fans for each day of the festival.
Lollapalooza is an outdoor festival in Grant Park, meaning attendees will be out in the elements. According to the American Lung Association, the best way to stay healthy when there's poor air quality is to stay indoors. Obviously, festival goers can't do that. If you're headed to Lollapalooza or are in an area with dangerous air quality, here's how to stay safe.
Mask when outdoors
While outside, consider wearing a mask. Dr. Justin Fiala from Northwestern Medicine told CBS: "What we would recommend to people ultimately is that if they're trying to limit the time they might be outdoors or if they're going to be outdoors for longer periods of time, consider things like N95 or KN95 masks, which are made to filter out 95 percent of these really small particles."
Some celebrities didn't stop masking after the COVID-19 pandemic. Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck's daughter, Violet Affleck, is often photographed wearing a mask.
During a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting, Violet said: "To confront the Long COVID crisis I demand mask availability, air filtration, and far-UVC light in government facilities, including jails and detention centers, and mask mandates in county medical facilities."
Avoid strenuous activities
If the air quality is poor, try to avoid strenuous activities like running or exercising. And if you're at Lollapalooza, instead of jumping like you're in a mosh pit, try to just sway to the music without increasing your heart rate too much.
Don't burn anything
Air quality is only worsened when more smoke goes into the air, so when levels are dangerous, don't light fireworks or burn yard waste. At home, don't light candles or incense, as you don't want to make the quality inside your home any worse.
Make sure your air indoors is healthy
After the festival or your outside time, you want to ensure your house is safe and healthy. To do this, the ALA recommends keeping windows and doors closed and running the air conditioning on the recirculate setting. If you don't have one already, invest in a portable HEPA air cleaner.