Asked about the African dust wave that made its appearance in Attica, Stelios Loukidis, a pulmonologist and professor at the University of Athens.

“It is a phenomenon which, from what the statistics show, happens around 20 to 30 times a year. What it seems to be is that it has variations, that is, it is not always the same. In addition to microparticles, viruses, allergens and fungi can be carried. So it means that we have a mixture in this transport, which can affect mainly people with chronic diseases and predominantly respiratory and cardiovascular patients,” he said, stressing the great care required on these days when the African dust phenomenon occurs.

“In this phenomenon there are two groups. One group, as mentioned above, is the one that has a pre-existing inflammation within its lung. This does not mean that the healthy ones have no effect. This effect depends of course on the size of the particles and other weather conditions. What we suggest is first is to avoid doing exercises in such conditions. Anyone who cannot withstand this exposure is advised to put on a high protection mask, not a simple surgical mask, because these simple masks do not have the protection they need, especially for people who have underlying diseases. It is advisable to avoid unnecessary movements, especially during periods when there is a high incidence of the phenomenon,” he then noted.