World's First Patient Is Diagnosed With 'Climate Change' In Canada; Faces Breathing Issues

A Canadian has become possibly world's first patient to be diagnosed as suffering from 'climate change'. The patient from Canada¡¯s British Columbia province is facing breathing issues as doctors said heatwaves and poor air quality were responsible for her condition.

The patient is a senior citizen and has an underlying condition of asthma but Dr Kyle Merritt, the consulting doctor said this was the first time in over 10 years he used the phrase climate change while writing up a patient¡¯s diagnosis, Times Colonist, a Canadian daily reported.

climate

¡°It¡¯s me trying to process what I¡¯m seeing,¡± he told Glacier Media. ¡°If we¡¯re not looking at the underlying cause, and we¡¯re just treating the symptoms, we¡¯re just gonna keep falling further and further behind.¡±

Recent climatic crises

The recent wildfires in Kootenays worsened her asthma, reported Canada¡¯s Times Colonist newspaper. The Kootenays region in the British Columbia province has seen over 1,600 wildfires this fiscal year, according to the BC Wildfire Service website.

Reuters

This diagnosis comes as record temperatures led to unprecedented severe heatwaves across the northwest territories in Canada in June 2021. The crisis killed over 500 people as temperature touched 46 degrees Celcius.

Pictures on social media had shown the heatwave melting roads and homes as residents sought relief from the heat by visiting outdoor pools and checking in into hotels to avail the service of an air conditioner, the usage of which is a rare in Canada.

Schools and Covid-19 vaccination centers close while community cooling centers open as western Canada and parts of the western US bake in an unprecedented heat wave that sees several temperature records broken https://t.co/Bkk0nuWI6u pic.twitter.com/sLAgT1LHkk

¡ª AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 29, 2021

Doctor's analysis

Dr. Kyle Merritt, who heads the Kootenay Lake Hospital¡¯s emergency room (ER) department, had seen numerous cases where the record heat wave exacerbated existing health issues like diabetes, heart failure, and so on. However, linking mortality or severe illness to heat waves or air pollution is a struggle.

"We¡¯re in the emergency department, we look after everybody, from the most privileged to the most vulnerable, from cradle to grave, we see everybody. And it¡¯s hard to see people, especially the most vulnerable people in our society, being affected. It¡¯s frustrating,¡± he says.

Reuters

The doctor said he hoped other physicians would see her diagnosis and consider drawing a straighter line between health and climate change.

Climate change, public health link at COP26 summit

The link between public health and climate crisis has been a hot topic at the ongoing COP26 summit in Glasgow. The climate conference being hosted by the United Kingdom has seen world leaders and technological giants come together to strengthen a global response to the threat of climate change.

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However, many of the deals and announcements made have been criticised by activists as not aggressive enough to make a meaningful difference.

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