LOS ANGELES, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday announced new heat and health initiative to protect Americans from heat exposure.
The new initiative has three resources, which combined give proactive actions people can take to protect themselves - stay cool, stay hydrated, and know the symptoms.
The HeatRisk Forecast Tool, developed by both CDC and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, provides a seven-day heat forecast nationwide that tells when temperatures may reach levels that could harm people's health.
The second source is CDC's HeatRisk Dashboard, a consumer-friendly product that integrates the HeatRisk Forecast Tool data with other information, including details on local air quality, to inform the public on how best to protect themselves when outdoor temperatures are high and could impact their health.
The third source is newly developed CDC clinical guidance which helps clinicians keep at-risk individuals safe when temperatures rise.
"Heat can impact our health, but heat-related illness and death are preventable," said CDC Director Mandy Cohen. "We are releasing new heat and health tools and guidance to help people take simple steps to stay safe in the heat."
More than two-thirds of all Americans were under heat alerts in 2023. A recent report from CDC found that daily emergency department visits because of heat-related illness in 2023 peaked in several regions over the warm-season months and, in those regions, remained exceedingly high for an extended duration.
Heat can be especially dangerous for people with underlying health conditions, said CDC.
