Many Canadian kids woke up to the smell of wildfire smoke last summer. Some are wondering: Is it dangerous? How can I protect myself? CBC Kids News talked to two children’s lung (肺) experts, Tom Kovesi and Dan Hughes, to find out how kids can stay safe.

Is wildfire smoke dangerous?

For most people, the effect of wildfire smoke is only short-term. Effects (影响) can include irritation (刺激) of the eyes, nose and throat; coughing and shortness of breath. They will get worse the more time you spend outdoors, especially if you’re active outside—doing sports and other exercise.

I spend my summers around a campfire. ▲

The difference between campfire smoke and wildfire smoke is that wildfire smoke is harder to avoid, Hughes said. “When you’re camping, you typically don’t stay in front of a fire for too long,” he said. “And if it’s really smoky, you’d probably sit upwind from the smoke or take a break.” Wildfire smoke, on the other hand, is everywhere. Therefore, the effects can be more long-term and dangerous.

The key to staying safe? Stay inside.

Both Kovesi and Hughes agree that the best thing for kids to do is stay inside when wildfire smoke is in the air.

“It’s especially important for kids who are super active to stop those activities. This is not the time to go jogging, play soccer and other sports,” Hughes said. “Those activities require you to breathe harder and deeper, which gives you a greater exposure (暴露) to the smoke and the particles (微粒) the smoke carries.”

Other steps you can take.

It’s best to close your windows and doors when inside. You can also use an air conditioner (空调), if you have one, to filter (过滤) the air more. Kovesi said that masks can also help lower the risk a little, particularly N95 masks. But they need to be worn correctly.

In our survey of 1000 teens, 40% say they have been hit or almost hit by a car or bike while walking.

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When you go to a supermarket or visit another city, you don’t need to show the results of nucleic acid tests (核酸检测) now. This makes it easier for people to travel. But this can also make people catch the virus (病毒) easily. What should we do if we have COVID-19?

Don’t worry too much

The virus isn’t as strong as before. You might have a fever or a cough. It can feel like a cold or the flu.

If you are not badly ill, you can stay at home

Open the windows for over 30 minutes every day.

Disinfect (消毒) things you touch in time.

Check your temperature twice a day in the morning and evening.

Take some medicine if you have a fever or a cough.

Take two virus tests in more than 24 hours. If the results are negative, you can leave your room.

Go to a hospital if you ...

Have a fever of more than 38.5℃ for over two or three days.

Feel sick and don’t want to eat anything.

Find it hard to breathe.

In a word, the hard time won’t last too long. If we look at the bright side of fighting against the virus, our lives will be better and better.