Drop in temperatures
Ouardirhi Abdelaziz
For a few days now, the thermometer has been recording drops in temperature, minimums to which our body is very sensitive, particularly at night and in the morning. These climate changes, hot during the day and cold at night, are not without health risks; on the contrary, one must know that the cold can be the source of proven health risks for your children and for fragile, vulnerable citizens, those who live in precarious conditions.
We must therefore redouble our vigilance.
Indeed, the thermometer does not stop dropping at night, and we use more blankets to keep our bodies warm. It is just as important to take care of the elderly and to cover children well who have to go to their schools early in the morning, as they are particularly sensitive to the extreme cold.
These temperature drops are felt more by the inhabitants of certain towns and villages located at high altitudes, such as the Middle and High Atlas and the Rif, where minimum temperatures should prompt vigilance.
Drop in minimum temperatures
The weather forecasts established by the General Directorate of Meteorology for Tuesday, 17 December 2024, reported fairly cold weather with local frost in the morning and at night on the reliefs, their surrounding regions, and the Oriental. These weather forecasts concerning minimum temperatures will not see major changes on Wednesday, 18 December.
The minimum temperatures recorded were around -01/05°C on the Atlas, its eastern slopes, the Rif, and the Eastern Highlands, 18/22°C on the west of the Southern provinces, and 08/14°C in the rest of the country.
Below are the minimum temperatures of certain cities in Morocco recorded on Tuesday, 17 December 2024, which give an idea of the cold.
Bouarfa -1°C
Midelt 0°C
Errachidia 2°C
Ifrane 4°C
Al Hoceima 5°C
Fès 5°C
Ouarzazate 5°C
Oujda minima 8°C
Mellilia 8°C
Rabat 9°C
Kenitra 9°C
Béni Mellal 9°C
Khouribga 9°C
Meknès 9°C
Safi 10°C
Tétouan 10°C
Tanger 11°C
Casablanca 12°C
El Jadida 12°C
Settat 12°C
Sebta 12°C
All this to say that the cold is setting in, that this cold has effects on the health of individuals, and that one must be vigilant regarding temperature drops, especially at night and in the morning.
Aggravation of pre-existing diseases
We notice that many relatives, colleagues, and friends are sick, due to the surge of certain pathologies that are specific to the cold; these are mainly ENT or respiratory infections.
Some recover after a few days. But this is not the case for everyone, especially the elderly, small children, and infants.
For parents who have a baby, they must know that the thermal regulation of an infant under 3 months is much less effective than that of an adult and heat loss occurs very easily, particularly when the baby is wet or has little active movement (child asleep in a pram or child kept in a backpack compressing their thighs).
The cold can aggravate the symptoms of several pre-existing diseases such as respiratory pathologies, like asthma, chronic bronchitis, or emphysema, especially when these are poorly controlled.
The health of people with cardiovascular diseases can also worsen due to the cold. People suffering from angina pectoris, or those who have already suffered a heart attack or a stroke (CVA), can thus see their symptoms worsen due to the cold.
Cold weather means heating methods, and therefore the use of wood, coal, or butane gas, and risks to health.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Due to the freezing cold that prevails, particularly in towns located at high altitudes, remote villages in steep areas where there is snow and ice, inhabitants must be made aware and show vigilance, especially those who use coal, wood, or butane gas for heating, because the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning are unfortunately recurrent. Despite the alerts, tragedies occur every winter.
The big problem is that very many citizens do not measure the gravity of using all these fuels, especially when the appliances are not in good condition and are used indoors in a closed room, releasing carbon monoxide.
For the year 2022, the poison control centre notified 335 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, predominating with 335 cases (90.54%), followed by 16 cases of butane poisoning (4.77%). The most affected regions are Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceima with 161 cases (43.51%), followed by the Béni Mellal-Khénifra region with 82 cases (22.16%) and the Oriental region with 41 cases (11.08%). Among these poisonings, 198 cases occurred at home (53.51%) with a predominance in urban areas (70.54%). Five deaths were notified.
What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, colourless, odourless, toxic, and potentially lethal gas that results from incomplete combustion, regardless of the fuel used: wood, butane gas, coal...
It diffuses very quickly into the environment. When a person breathes carbon monoxide, the gas enters their blood and takes the place of oxygen. This damages tissues and can be very dangerous for health.
The effects of carbon monoxide poisoning vary according to:
– the amount of carbon monoxide in the air;
– the duration of the person's exposure to the gas;
– the person's sensitivity to the effects of this gas;
– the person's state of health;
– The repetition of exposure over time.
Every year, this toxic gas is responsible for the hospitalisation of dozens of people in intensive care units and causes deaths in Morocco.
What are the symptoms?
Headaches are the most frequent symptoms, as well as dizziness or a feeling of muscle weakness. Digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting without diarrhoea, abdominal pain) can be particularly misleading.
Other symptoms can be encountered at variable frequencies, particularly in cases of more significant poisoning, such as dyspnoea, malaise, vision problems, difficulty concentrating, behavioural disorders, chest pain, confusion, and convulsions. Severe poisoning can lead to coma and death from cardiorespiratory failure, sometimes in a few minutes.
Acting for the most vulnerable
Cold weather and temperature drops also mean danger for people living in precarious situations. This is the case for the homeless. Those who sleep on the street, in public parks, tunnels, train stations, and buildings that are falling into ruin...
These citizens whom nature has not been kind to, those we cross every day and who carry a blanket around their neck, must not leave us indifferent; on the contrary, we must be in solidarity, each according to their means and possibilities.
The tragic fate of these homeless people must concern us, because they suffer more than others from the cold wave and have no roof to protect themselves or sleep under.
The government must think about setting up adapted, more humane, and warmer structures that will serve to welcome these Moroccan citizens whom nature has not been kind to and for whom we must provide help, comfort, compassion, and love.
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