ABU DHABI // Cases of asthma and other respiratory illnesses have increased by up to 25 per cent amid sand and dust storms that are forecast to continue for at least another day.
“Definitely we have got more patients in the past couple of days,” said Dr Pierre Majdalani, a child asthma and allergy specialist at Dr Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Centre, Dubai.
“I have noticed that many children have asthma attacks during severe sand storms.
“The particles and viruses in the dust trigger respiratory illnesses.
“There are more asthma attacks in general and I’d say the number of patients coming to us has increased by 20 per cent at least, due to the dust storm.”
Dr Majdalani said the dusty air could also trigger ear infections, cough, asthma, cold, viral infection, ear infection and influenza.
“There are many problems that arise even after the event, say a week later. The particles induce inflammation,” he said.
The dust storms also pose a major threat on the roads, police say.
An Emirati, 19, died on Saturday night when his motorcycle collided with a car in Al Zeit, Ras Al Khaimah.
Col Ali Al Alekum, director of traffic and patrols at RAK Police, said a car swerved suddenly and hit the motorcycle head-on.
High winds and low visibility caused by sand and dust in the air led to the crash, Col Al Alekum said.
The motorcyclist suffered severe head injuries and died before arriving at hospital.
Dr Abdel Naser Kamel, a consultant in internal and pulmonary medicine at Al Noor Hospital in Abu Dhabi, warned that residents who were especially vulnerable should take extra precautions.
Dr Kamel said infants, the elderly and those with cardiac problems should avoid “unnecessary exposure to the sandstorms and dust, and use nose-mouth masks”.
“There has been approximately a 25 per cent increase in the number of patients who suffered asthma-related problems daily since the sandstorms began,” he said.
“These have been complaints from people of all ages. Fortunately there have not been any severe cases.”
Residents who experience coughing, wheezing or breathlessness should see a doctor immediately.
The National Centre for Meteorology and Seismology said the clouds and rain would continue until Monday morning, especially over the northern parts of the UAE.
“The clouds will decrease gradually afterwards so the weather will be partly cloudy and cloudy at times in the northern and eastern part of UAE, but in the afternoon the wind will be stronger, especially over the sea,” a forecaster at the bureau said.
Falling temperatures were caused by a cold air mass coming from the north, he said.
On Sunday, temperatures reached a maximum of 26.8°C in the south-east of the country, with a low of 5.1°C at Jabal Jais.
North-westerly winds will continue to blow dust in open areas in the desert but not the coast, the spokesman said.
“When there is rain, there is no sandstorm because water prevents it,” he said.
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Company%20Profile
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Company%20Profile
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The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
NEW%20UTILITY%20POLICY%3A%20WHAT%20DOES%20IT%20REGULATE%3F
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
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