Hello. As you all know, New Years is upon us, and for those in the north, that means we are going to prepare for one of the coldest days in New Years history. Temperatures predicted for New Year’s Eve in New York are expected to be at a high of 19 degrees with a wind chill of -4 which are some of the lowest recorded in New Years history. Despite this though, Times Square will still probably be packed with revelers waiting to see the ball drop. even with the mass of people being huddled together, the cold from this arctic blast will be incredibly intense. It may not be likely, but there is a chance that some people will be displaying signs of Hypothermia if they are not dressed properly.
For those that plan on attending, here are some signs you can recognize and things you can do if a friend or relative of yours starts showing signs of Hypothermia:
Signs of Hypothermia will include: •Shivering
•Slurred Speech or mumbling
•Slow, shallow breathing
•Clumsiness or a lack of coordination
•Drowsiness or low in energy
• confusion
•memory loss
•Bright red/cold skin
•Loss of consciousness
•and a weak pulse
If you start seeing some of these signs, here are some things you can do:
• Call 911 or go to a cop right away. Doesn’t matter how, if the person is showing signs, they have to be attended to immediately before more heat is exerted from their body
• Leave the area and find a warm place to rest in as quickly and as safely as possible. It will suck that you will miss the ball drop, but better to go next year than lose a life. The more heat that is exerted from the body, the greater the odds that the person goes into shock. It is necessary to get them into any building in Times Square
•Offer any warm liquids to them, BUT NOT anything that has caffeine or alcohol since those two will only increase heat loss. The person needs to be warmed up as quickly as possible, but caffeine will only produce jitteriness which will exert more heat, and alcohol will only slow down blood flow even more.
•Protect the person from harsh temperatures as best as you can. Since you will have to walk over a couple of meters to the nearest building, it is very important to keep her as warm as possible, so covering them with your body will help produce more warmth. Remember to be as gentle as possible since the person is still going through extreme symptoms of Hypothermia
•Begin rewarming the person as quickly as possible with warm blankets and extra clothing from you. Ask if there are heating pads the person can use as they are great help too.
And if there’s a thermometer in the area, make sure to take their temperature as quickly as possible so you know how much heat they lost. New Years can still be fun, but just remember that it is important to take as many precautionary measures as possible to keep yourself warm on New Year’s Day. Enjoy, but please be safe this weekend.