DETROIT – Emergency room physicians are warning residents about the heightened risks of frostbite and hypothermia as dangerous sub-zero wind chills sweep through the Detroit Metro area.
“Frostbite in windchills like this can start in 15 minutes,” says DMC physician, Dr. Luda Khait-Vlisides.
Medical experts are particularly concerned about how quickly these dangerous conditions can affect people.
“If you start to feel numbness, tingling or burning in hands, get inside. Those are some of the first signs of frostbite,” Khait-Vlisides explains. “Hypothermia can set in actually quite fast, your mind can go blank and you might not know what’s going on, which makes you be outside even more.”
The current cold snap represents some of the lowest temperatures the region has experienced in years.
Local officials have responded by opening warming centers across Detroit and beyond to protect vulnerable residents from the extreme cold.