The head of respiratory medicine at Vancouver’s St. Paul’s Hospital says B.C. could face a deadly “double whammy” if the novel coronavirus pandemic drags into a smoky wildfire season.
Respirologist Dr. Don Sin said the presence of wildfire smoke would likely increase the death rate from the virus. “It will affect … all aspects of COVID-19, from the mild to the most severe,” said Sin. “Right now the most cited mortality is between one to two per cent from COVID 19 — that is likely to escalate during the wildfire season.” Sin added that while COVID-19 disproportionately affects older people, the combination of the virus with wildfire smoke would have an impact on everyone regardless of age.