More than a hundred people were taken to hospital in Montreal and Laval to treat symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Urgences-santé. Public Health is issuing a warning as power outages caused by last Wednesday’s freezing rain continue in several locations in the southwestern part of the province.
Fortunately, we do not fear for their lives from any of them, according to Urgences-santé.
On Saturday, Montreal Public Health took care to issue a notice stating that “carbon monoxide is a threat to your health even at a low level of exposure”.
The indoor use of appliances intended for outdoor use, such as barbecues, and auxiliary heating systems, are therefore to be avoided, while the breakdowns caused by the freezing rain last Wednesday extend to several places in southwestern Quebec.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas, very dangerous, since it can take the place of oxygen in the blood.
Recall that a man lost his life on Friday, intoxicated by carbon monoxide while trying to warm up, in Saint-Joseph-du-Lac.
There was “a generator that worked in the garage,” said Jean-Philippe Labbé, inspector of investigations at the Régie de police du Lac des Deux-Montagnes. Firefighters estimated that there was “20 times more” carbon dioxide in the air than the norm, he said. The death of the man was declared at the hospital of Saint-Eustache.
Here are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Mild poisoning causes:
- headaches
- dizziness
- nausea
- vomitings
- tiredness
More intense exposure can lead to:
- fainting spells
- seizures
- coma or even death
With The Canadian Press