[..] The mask shortage may leave farmworkers vulnerable to the airborne fungus that causes Valley Fever, Coccidioides immitis. The disease’s symptoms are simila

[..] The mask shortage may leave farmworkers vulnerable to the airborne fungus that causes Valley Fever, Coccidioides immitis. The disease’s symptoms are similar to the flu, including fatigue, shortness of breath, fever and sometimes lethal lung problems. Unlike the flu, however, Valley Fever attacks the weakest part of the body. While most people who inhale the fungus may simply think they have a cold, in others, the effects can last a lifetime, and result in death or amputation. It’s not just Valley Fever. Dr. John Balmes, a professor of medicine at University of California San Francisco, said farmworkers can be bombarded by dust and dirt while sowing, tending, picking and packing produce, and the particles can be dangerous to their health, setting off asthma attacks and irritating airways. Many field laborers prefer to put on N95 or dust masks when heading out to work in the open, exposed to the elements. According to Balmes, N95 masks protect against vapor particles, such as sulphur, a common fungicide applied by farmworkers, or Coccidioides. Dust masks only protect against larger particles and simply guard against irritation of the throat and airways. Now, however, many say they have switched to bandannas, which Balmes said offer little-to-no protection. “That exposure can trigger an asthma attack, even if it’s not diesel or infectious particles, just plain soil,” said Balmes, who also is a professor of environmental sciences at UC Berkeley and a co-investigator on the CHAMACOS study, a long-term research project that investigates the impact of pesticides on children in the Salinas Valley.[..]