Check on friends, families and neighbours

NEWS RELEASE

ALGOMA PUBLIC HEALTH

With a wind chill warning in effect for parts of the Algoma District, Algoma Public Health would like to remind the public to take appropriate precautions to keep warm and stay safe outdoors.

Caution is advised for people heading outdoors. Wind chills near minus 40 until early this afternoon and dropping below minus 40 tonight in some areas.

• Stay in heated buildings as much as possible and take shelter from strong winds. 
• Wear appropriate layers of clothing, gloves and hats.
• Check on friends, families and neighbours. 
• Hypothermia and frostbite are the most common and preventable injuries.

Know what signs and symptoms to look for:

Hypothermia

Look for shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling/uncoordinated movements, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness.

Treat hypothermia by moving the person to shelter, replacing wet clothing with dry clothing, and wrapping them in warm blankets. Seek medical attention if experiencing these symptoms.

Frostbite 

Look for white/grayish skin area, skin feeling unusually firm, waxy or numb. Body extremities are often the first to be frozen, for example, the nose, cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes.

Slowly warm the body part in warm water not hot and seek medical attention immediately.

Learn more about weather alerts in northern Ontario. 

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