Cold snap sends Ohioans to ER as winter risks continue

By Farah Siddiqi

As snow moves across Ohio, emergency physicians said cold-related injuries are sending people to emergency rooms, even as temperatures rise out of extreme warning territory.

Emergency physicians said winter weather can pose risks for those who are not traditionally considered vulnerable.

Dr. Ryan Marino, emergency physician and associate professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, explained cold exposure can affect anyone.

"This cold is a risk for everyone," Marino emphasized. "Not that everyone needs to be scared or worried about it, but just that cold can affect people in more ways than we think about regularly and it does affect everyone, not just older people or younger people, but everyone."

Health officials said snow can increase exposure risk by soaking clothing and extending time outdoors, accelerating cold-related injuries such as frostbite even when temperatures are no longer at extreme lows.

Marino added many cold-related injuries happen when people underestimate how quickly exposure can cause harm.

"Even areas of skin that may not be exposed or may not be necessarily below freezing temperatures, if you have wet clothing or damp articles of clothing, it doesn’t have to be a direct exposure to negative temperatures to get these kind of injuries," Marino noted.

He pointed out winter weather can worsen other medical conditions and increase risks tied to indoor heating, including carbon monoxide exposure. Marino encouraged Ohioans to wear dry layers, limit time outdoors, and check on elderly neighbors as flu season remains active into early spring.