New CDC initiative aims to protect Americans from extreme heat

Simon Druker
·2 min read
With the official start of summer now less than two months away, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new initiative to help Americans protect themselves from extreme heat. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
With the official start of summer now less than two months away, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new initiative to help Americans protect themselves from extreme heat. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

April 22 (UPI) -- With the official start of summer now less than two months away, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched a new initiative to help Americans protect themselves from extreme heat.

The CDC initiative announced Monday includes a new set of guidelines for healthcare practitioners, which take into account a person's background and risk factors. They also provide information specific to people in certain risk groups, such as pregnant women, children with asthma or people over the age of 65.

More than two-thirds of all Americans were under heat alerts at some point last year, according to the CDC.

The agency also is partnering with the National Weather Service to produce an experimental color-numeric-based index that provides a forecast risk of heat-related effects to occur over a 24-hour period.

The HeatRisk Foreacast Tool takes into consideration and provides information on how unusual the heat can be for the time of the year, as well as duration for both daytime and nighttime temperatures.

More than two-thirds of all Americans were under heat alerts at some point last year, according to the CDC. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI
More than two-thirds of all Americans were under heat alerts at some point last year, according to the CDC. File Photo by Yuri Gripas/UPI

The HeatRisk dashboard augments temperature readings with other information such as air quality and alerts people to when a reading may become dangerously high.

"Heat can impact our health, but heat-related illness and death are preventable," said CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement.

The CDC initiative announced Monday includes a new set of guidelines for healthcare practitioners, which take into account a person’s background and risk factors and provide information specific to people in certain risk groups, like pregnant women, children with asthma or people over the age of 65. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The CDC initiative announced Monday includes a new set of guidelines for healthcare practitioners, which take into account a person’s background and risk factors and provide information specific to people in certain risk groups, like pregnant women, children with asthma or people over the age of 65. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI

"We are releasing new heat and health tools and guidance to help people take simple steps to stay safe in the heat."

A report issued last week by the CDC found daily emergency department visits due to heat-related illness last year, peaked in many areas during the spring and summer months, and in many cases "remained exceedingly high for an extended duration."

The HeatRisk Foreacast Tool takes into consideration and provides information on how unusual the heat can be for the time of the year, as well as duration for both daytime and nighttime temperatures. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
The HeatRisk Foreacast Tool takes into consideration and provides information on how unusual the heat can be for the time of the year, as well as duration for both daytime and nighttime temperatures. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI