Tear-Gassing Protesters During An Infectious Outbreak Called 'A Recipe For Disaster'
By News
Published 4 years ago on
June 8, 2020
Share
[aggregation-styles]
WBUR
In nationwide demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd and other black Americans, protesters are frequently pepper-sprayed or enveloped in clouds of tear gas. These crowd-control weapons are rarely lethal, but in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, there are growing calls for police to stop using these chemical irritants because they can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of COVID-19.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, some experts said additional research was needed on the risks of tear gas — an umbrella term for several chemical “riot control agents” used by law enforcement. It’s known that the chemicals can have both immediate and long-term health effects.
Their widespread use in recent weeks, while an infectious disease continues to spread across the U.S., has stunned experts and physicians. The coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 is highly contagious, spreads easily through the air via droplets and can lead to severe or fatal respiratory illness. Deploying these corrosive, inhalable chemicals could harm people in several ways: expose more people to the virus, compromise the body’s ability to fight off the infection, and even cause mild infections to become more severe illnesses.
Read More →
WBUR
In nationwide demonstrations against the police killing of George Floyd and other black Americans, protesters are frequently pepper-sprayed or enveloped in clouds of tear gas. These crowd-control weapons are rarely lethal, but in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, there are growing calls for police to stop using these chemical irritants because they can damage the body in ways that can spread the coronavirus and increase the severity of COVID-19.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic, some experts said additional research was needed on the risks of tear gas — an umbrella term for several chemical “riot control agents” used by law enforcement. It’s known that the chemicals can have both immediate and long-term health effects.
Their widespread use in recent weeks, while an infectious disease continues to spread across the U.S., has stunned experts and physicians. The coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19 is highly contagious, spreads easily through the air via droplets and can lead to severe or fatal respiratory illness. Deploying these corrosive, inhalable chemicals could harm people in several ways: expose more people to the virus, compromise the body’s ability to fight off the infection, and even cause mild infections to become more severe illnesses.
Read More →
By Will Stone | 5 June 2020
RELATED TOPICS:
Heavy Rains Over Texas Have Led to Water Rescues, School Cancellations and Orders to Evacuate
Weather /
3 hours ago
Google, Justice Department Make Final Arguments About Whether Search Engine is a Monopoly
Business /
3 hours ago
Anchovy Feast Draws the Most Sea Lions to SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf in 15 Years
Animals /
3 hours ago
Captain Sentenced to 4 Years for Criminal Negligence in Fiery Deaths of 34 Aboard Scuba Boat
Crime /
3 hours ago
Mountain West Boss Reveals There’s Talk of Football Playoffs for Teams Like Fresno State
Sports /
3 hours ago
Three Arrested for Trespassing, Posting Flyers at Fresno Synagogue and Church
Fresno police arrested three men after they were caught attaching religious flyers at a synagogue and a Catholic church on Thursday.
There w...
Crime /
4 mins ago
Categories
Latest
Videos
Crime /
4 mins ago
Three Arrested for Trespassing, Posting Flyers at Fresno Synagogue and Church
Weather /
3 hours ago
Heavy Rains Over Texas Have Led to Water Rescues, School Cancellations and Orders to Evacuate
Business /
3 hours ago
Google, Justice Department Make Final Arguments About Whether Search Engine is a Monopoly
Animals /
3 hours ago
Anchovy Feast Draws the Most Sea Lions to SF’s Fisherman’s Wharf in 15 Years
Crime /
3 hours ago