What the air quality warning means for families and CHEO

Environment Canada has issued a Special Air Quality Statement for the City of Ottawa with the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) in the high-risk category.

Public health officials are advising young children, elders and anyone at risk to avoid strenuous outdoor activities and reduce or reschedule strenuous activities, especially if they experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation. For more, please see: 

• Ottawa Public Health’s page on protecting yourself from outdoor air pollution 
• Government of Canada’s page on protecting your health from wildfire smoke 

Safety is our top priority at CHEO, and we have taken the following measures. 

We are: 

• out of an abundance of caution, cancelling any outdoor programming while the  
  health risk is high, 
• monitoring the ventilation and filter systems to ensure they are operating optimally, 
• keeping all entryway our doors shut, as much as possible, 
• ensuring a strong inventory of relevant medications,   
• encouraging virtual care appointments when possible.  

We will continue to monitor the situation, consult with Ottawa Public Health and other local health partners, and provide updates as the situation changes throughout the week. 

About asthma attacks (from CHEO’s What you need to know about: Asthma) 

Symptoms of an asthma attack include:  

• severe shortness of breath 
• rapid, shallow breathing 
• sucking in the skin at the base of the neck, or just below the ribs  

If your child is having an asthma attack:  

• Stay calm.  
• Give your child their rescue inhaler.  
• Monitor their symptoms. If they persist more than 10 minutes seek emergency attention. 

If your child or youth needs urgent care, CHEO’s Emergency is always here.

- 30 -