Citation

Tin D, Hertelendy AJ, Ciottone GR. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ajem.2020.09.069

PMID

33039239 PMCID

Abstract

With over 46 million acres burnt, 5900 buildings destroyed, and over $100 billion in damage and economic costs, the Australian bushfire season of 2019-2020, also dubbed the "Black Summer", is estimated to be the costliest natural disaster in the country to date, and put an unprecedented strain on response systems. In light of the strain caused by the concurrent global COVID-19 pandemic, the uniquely vulnerable Australian healthcare system is highly susceptible to strategic, asymmetrical terrorist attack, which has been threatened by some radical extremist organizations. The Australian bushfires stretched the surge capacity of our fire and emergency services almost to the breaking point, and exposed weaknesses in the national healthcare system. The bushfires demonstrated the significant health impacts of climate change-related disasters, that in this case included short term rises in cardiac and respiratory emergency department visits and hospital admissions.

The longer-term morbidity and mortality impact resulting from fine particulate matter and environmental pollutant exposure is still being examined, with the subsequent societal repercussions not yet well understood. Additionally, there are concerns that Australia does not have a national health and climate change strategy or plan. The 2019 bushfires further exposed the lack of a coordinated multidisciplinary health services approach to disaster management. The exclusion of primary care health services in the various phases of the disaster cycle, and in particular in disaster response is a significant shortcoming.

It is well established that natural disasters have resulted in long term mental health consequences in affected communities. It was estimated that 80% of Australians were directly or indirectly affected by the 2019 bushfires. The end of the bushfire devastation in March 2020 coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, further placing immense strain not only on Australia's health care sector, but that of the international community. As of August 2020, over 2500 Australian healthcare workers in the state of Victoria alone have tested positive for Covid-19.

Language: en