Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC hospitals saw twice as many asthma ER visits as bad air blanketed city
By
Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
Published Jun 8, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
By
Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
Published Jun 8, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
More than 300 New Yorkers visited local emergency rooms on Wednesday due to asthma symptoms, according to the latest data from the city's health department. That's almost double the count from the previous day.
The ER visits spiked along with the concentration of airborne pollution spirited south from Canadian wildfires this week. The Air Quality Index, a measure of air pollution, peaked at "hazardous" levels on Wednesday afternoon. Exposure to the polluted air can be especially dangerous for older adults, children and people with pre-existing health conditions like asthma.
Asthma-related emergency visits are now the highest they've been since the peak of tree pollen season in late April.
“While we are seeing higher than usual asthma-related visits to the emergency department, these visits and calls are still in the low hundreds and our hospital and health care systems are fully able to respond to patients. This is an important reminder to stay indoors as much as possible, with the windows closed. If you must be outside, a high-quality mask may help.”
As of Thursday afternoon, air quality in the New York metro area had improved, but it was still at "unhealthy" levels, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. New York and New Jersey health officials recommend that people stay inside as much as possible, mask when they're outdoors and run air purifiers if they have them.
Tagged
Health and Science
new york city
NYC air quality
environment
air quality
Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky
Jaclyn is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Central Park birders, others remember 63-year-old woman killed in park
People who said they knew her described her as an artist and a familiar presence in the Ramble.
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 28, 2026 at 7:04 p.m. ET
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
News
Dump truck driver hits and kills cyclist on 34th Street in Midtown, NYPD says
It's the latest in a string of hit-and-run deaths in the city in recent months.
By
Liam Quigley
New ingredient mandated for Latin American kitchen, restaurant plates in NJ
By
Arya Sundaram
A Brooklyn jail cell filled with smoke. The emergency button failed, a lawyer said.
By
Samantha Max
Crews launch tunnel machines to dig first new Hudson River rail tunnels since 1910
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .