[Greece Photo credit to Pixabay]

The hot weather is causing many people, especially seniors, to get sick in southern Europe.

One of the hottest regions is Rome, with temperatures up to an average of 41 Celsius.

Some people live in places with no air conditioning and refrigerators that work properly, making the weather more unbearable.

Since the low-income suburbans are the most endangered in this situation, charities and the government are trying to help them. 

Volunteers go to these neighborhoods and help with daily chores and medical issues they might face from the heat. 

Because it is so hot, people, in general, are warned to stay indoors during the hottest hours of the day. 

Moreover, heat waves are forcing people to shelter in their air-conditioned homes while those who do not have them use damp cloths or hand fans to try and cool themselves.  

The weather also leads to the isolation of seniors since they do not go outside, causing psychological problems.

Not only Rome, but many other countries are affected as well since this conflict is spreading further and further each year. 

This year, the heat has spread as far north as Belgium, which has forced the government to install heat plans to safeguard the older populations. 

As age is a huge factor, Italy is likely to be the most affected by the heat since 24 percent of Italy is made of seniors, making this country the oldest country in Europe. 

Not only is age a factor, but poverty, isolation, and those with sickness are more likely to get sick from the intense heat waves they face daily. 

Last year, they had to endure three major heat waves, which led to almost 30 percent of 61,000 dying from the severe heat. 

Though last year’s numbers were terrible, the hottest summer of 2003 led to around 70,000 deaths.

This problem has led to more measures being taken to keep the population safe. 

After 2003, Italy was one of the first countries to put in place a national plan to soothe the heat somehow. 

One way the government is trying to minimize the number of people getting sick from the heat is by putting on alerts to warn people when it is safe to go outside and when it is not.

Authorities also set up a complimentary phone number so that people can call and get advice on possible heat-related problems.

Not only that, television channels warn people to stay indoors to shelter from the hottest hours of the day so that there is a way to reach everyone before the worst can happen.

The television channels also share some tips to keep from getting too hot, which may lead to sickness like feeling light-headed or many other symptoms that might get serious. 

However, Italy is one of many countries that have implemented these measures.

France, which is not in as bad of a situation as Italy, has a heat tax to fund programs to help the most vulnerable people in the summer. 

They also have regular check-in phone calls or in-person visits during heat waves to make sure how people are doing. 

As heat reaches the north, which people are not used to in that region, places like Belgium are putting up three-step heat plans to prepare for the possible heat waves.

Like France, check-ins are available in Brussels to those who feel isolated and vulnerable. 

Moreover, Greece ended up closing archaeological sites between noon to 5:30 since it is too hot for tourists to go around these sites. 

In Rome, regional medical professionals are providing regular check-ins that prevent the situation from getting worse. 

Because of COVID, these check-ins can be better coordinated and more efficient, like quick  patient information updates on digital platforms, helping this program to flow without many issues.

Since the mortality rose to about 5.7 percent during the hottest months, which is the hottest in the last 20 years, more ideas are being brought up to bring this number down. 

Hopefully, new solutions are being brought forth to help people from getting illnesses from the heat.