Lung disease

The Nevada Tobacco Prevention Coalition, comprised of collaborating public health and private partner organizations, encourages Nevadans to participate in Thursday's 44th Annual Great American Smokeout.

As Governor Steve Sisolak, Nevada state government officials, public health authorities, hospitals, and medical providers all work together to prepare, test, treat, and slow the spread of COVID-19, there are measures we can all take to reduce our risk of contracting the virus and keep our families and communities healthy.

Carson City Health and Human Services (CCHHS) is reporting a third positive case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. This is the third case reported in the Quad County region: Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey counties.

Wildfires burning around the region have contributed to deteriorating air quality Thursday morning with the Carson City area getting the brunt of smoke and haze that began to move in overnight, according to AirNow.Gov.

UPDATE 10:47AM TUESDAY: Air quality readings in Carson City and Douglas County were in the "unhealthy" range, according to AirNow.gov. The National Weather Service advises periods of degraded air quality will continue. However, many areas could see thinning smoke for at least the next couple days as winds shift to more east to southeast direction. This would carry the bulk of any new smoke away from the area, forecasters say. This may be a short-lived break as westerly flow looks like it will return late in the week and for the weekend.
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Air quality monitors in Carson City and Gardnerville are reporting levels of particulate matter in the unhealthy to hazardous range due to smoke from the wildfires in California, according to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

UPDATE 12:08PM: As of noon Monday, Carson City and Douglas County air quality is now in the "Very Unhealthy" category, according to the Air Quality Index, triggering a health alert meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects. Carson City's index reading was 222 and Gardnerville, 272.
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Smoke from regional fires has caused the air quality in the Gardnerville area of Douglas County to reach the "hazardous" stage Monday morning, with an Air Quality Index reading of 410, according to AirNow.gov, while Carson City has reached the "unhealthy" stage.

UPDATE: 1:45PM: The AQI in Carson City is currently rated at 101 in the unhealthy range as of 1 p.m. Sunday, according to NDEP data.
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Smoke from regional and Northern California wildfires has drifted back into the Carson City area, resulting in a moderate air quality index (AQI) rating of 53 as of 10 a.m. Sunday morning, according to readings from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).

Smoke from regional and Northern California wildfires has resulted in an unhealthy air quality rating of 169 as of 9 a.m. Saturday morning, according to data from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.

Drift smoke from both new and older wildfires around Northern California and Nevada moved into the Carson City area on Friday afternoon.

UPDATE 11:53AM: Carson City and Gardnerville was downgraded to the "unhealthy" category on the Air Quality Index after remaining in the moderate level until around 10 a.m. The "unhealthy" category, in which Carson City was 161 and Gardnerville 162, means everyone may begin to experience health effects, members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
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Smoke-filled skies continue to grip Carson City and Western Nevada on Wednesday though some of the haze has eased since the first part of the week.

Air quality in Carson City reached an “unhealthy” status Tuesday morning, with a 153 on the Air Quality Index. In Carson Valley, an AQI monitor in Gardnerville registered 129 placing the area in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category.

Thick smoke from the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park returned Friday to western Nevada and is affecting air quality in Carson City, Carson Valley, Lyon County and the Lake Tahoe Basin, according to the National Weather Service.

Carson City Health and Human Services has been receiving several calls about the impact of the smoke from the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park. The Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and Carson City Health and Human Services continue to monitor air quality concerns from smoke drifting into the area from this fire.

UPDATE 2:58PM: Carson City's air quality worsened Wednesday afternoon to "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" with an Air Quality Index measure now at 115.
Sensitive groups include people with lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children and teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People who fall in this group should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.

Bob Parkerson started smoking cigarettes when he was 15 years old. So, four years ago when his cardiologist recommended he quit, Parkerson, then 72, was skeptical he’d be able to.

Carson City Health and Human Services has been receiving several calls about the impact of the smoke from the Detwiler Fire in Mariposa County, Calif.

Dianne Harman Askew, 70, passed away peacefully on November 28 after a brave battle with interstitial lung disease, a rare autoimmune disorder.

Born in Detroit in 1946, Dianne was raised in El Paso, Texas. A Kappa Delta, she graduated from the University of Texas El Paso with a bachelor’s degree in business. Shortly afterward, a handsome and charming drill sergeant, Phillip “Mike” Askew, just returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam, swept her off her feet.

In Nevada most drivers age 65 and old must renew their driver’s license every four years and some special rules apply. Senior drivers who usually renew their license in person will be asked to do a basic vision test to ensure they are able to safely operate a motor vehicle.

Carson City Health and Human Services will host flu vaccination clinics this Thursday and next Tuesday as it continues to help build community immunity. By getting a flu vaccine this year, citizens are not only protecting themselves but others from falling ill to the flu.

The first week of October marks the official start of flu season in the United States. Beginning in October and lasting through May, flu season is the period when flu germs are most likely to be circulating and to make people sick.

Smoke from a number of large wildfires in Northern California is drifting into the Reno-Carson-Lake Tahoe area.

The Air Quality Index is currently rated at Orange, or Unhealthly for Sensitive Groups, according to AirNow.gov. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion. Parts of the Truckee Meadows are currently rated at Red, or Unhealthy, and is recommended that everyone should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion while outside.

GARDNERVILLE, Nev. — UPDATE 7:30 a.m., Thursday: Sierra Front Interagency Dispatch reports firefighters made progress for the second consecutive day Wednesday on the 17,205-acre Washington Fire eight miles south of Markleeville, Calif.

Firefighters upped the containment of the fire to 10 percent on the sixth day of suppression efforts. The primary tactical priority continues to be preventing the fire from reaching Markleeville. The next priorities are to contain the fire in the Wolf Creek and Monitor Pass areas.

Carson City Health and Human Services has been receiving several calls about the impact of the smoke from the Washington Fire in Alpine County, Calif. Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials.

Lung cancer is ranked among the top three health issues in Northern Nevada according to the latest community health needs assessments. As the number of individuals suffering with lung disease continues to escalate, th...

Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and it is ranked among the top three health issues in Northern Nevada according to the latest community health needs assessments. As the number of individuals suffering with lung disease continues to escalate, the challenges of early diagnosis and treatment are more critical than ever before.

Local governments want to limit presumed benefits for public safety workers who develop heart or lung disease, cancer or hepatitis, but police, fire and other labor organizations Monday denounced cost concerns as unfounded....

UPDATE: Air quality monitors in Carson City and Gardnerville are reporting levels of particulate matter in the unhealthy range due to smoke from the King fire in California, according to Nevada environmental health officials.

People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should consider moving activities indoors and avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.

UPDATE FRIDAY 9AM: Highway 50 reopened Friday morning. Expect delays and partial lane closures. Westbound traffic is reduced to 1 lane from Riverton to Pollock Pines.

UPDATE: The King Fire was much less active Thursday and firefighters were able to gain control on the southwestern end of the fire near Pollock Pines. The fire is 10 percent contained as of Thursday night and has consumed 73,124 acres, Cal Fire officials said.

According to a Cal Fire public information officer the northernmost 'finger' of fire is around the west side of Hellhole Reservoir, headed to Chipmunk Ridge. There was structure protection preparation work at Hellhole Reservoir.

Smoke levels continue to plague western Nevada, particularly Carson City and Reno but the forecast calls for winds to change direction some and drive the smoke away, according a National Weather Service forecast discussion briefing issued Thursday night.

Based on recent reports from the CDC, beginning in November 2013, there has been a number of reports of severe respiratory illness among young and middle-aged adults, many of whom were infected with Influenza A, the pandemic H1N1 2009 virus.

A Dense Smoke Advisory issued by the National Weather Service continues Wednesday for Carson City and Carson Valley.

Using data provided by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Carson City and Douglas County officials continue to monitor the rapid decline in air quality. On Wednesday Douglas County sent a news release stating that overnight pollution levels moved into the "hazardous" classification.