Heat and humidity increase visits to the state fair infirmary

Temperatures reached 90 degrees this afternoon.

Catie O'Toole / The Post-StandardA paramedic from Rural Metro at the New York State fair help an unidentified woman who passed out during Peter Noone's performance at Chevy Court.

Geddes, NY -- Fairgoers are trying to stay cool as temperatures reached 90 degrees today.

But for some, the heat and humidity was too much.

On Monday and today, both Senior Citizen's Day at the New York State Fair, medical staff tended to several fairgoers who became ill -- mainly because of the heat, said Ken Case, operations supervisor for Rural Metro Medical Services.

Temperatures reached 90 degrees around 2:30 p.m. today. About that time, two women on opposite sides of Chevy Court passed out because of the heat. Someone sprayed water on one woman's face as she laid on the pavement near the Center of Progress Building. Paramedics put an IV in the other woman, before taking her to the fair's infirmary.

"Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate," said medical student Shaunna Escobar, who is working in the infirmary today.

Case said the fair always has more medical staff working on Senior days, as well as any day when larger than usual crowds are expected.

"The heat has played a role in an increase in call volume (Monday and today) but that wasn't a surprise," Case said. "The elderly are affected more by the heat and humidity."

There were 75 people treated at the fair infirmary Monday and 19 through 2 p.m. today.

Of the 75 treated Monday at the infirmary, 20 were taken to Syracuse hospitals. None have been taken to area hospitals today.

Since the fair started Aug. 26, medical staff at the infirmary have treated 267 people through Monday night, Case said. Of those, 56 were taken to hospitals.

Case said the number of infirmary patients at this year's fair is "on par with year's past."

Most patients were fairgoers, however there were some fair workers who required medical treatment at the infirmary.

Over the past two days, the majority of medical calls at the fair have been heat-related, Case said. Rural Metro has 16 to 20 paramedics working each day of the fair. They use ambulances, bicycles, a medically-equipped John Deer Gator cart and medically-equipped golf cart to get to fairgoers who need medical assistance.

Patients are sometimes taken to area hospitals, but mostly they are treated at the fair infirmary, Case said.