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This media interview demonstrates several pitfalls Select a highlighted Explanation icon to see why the statement is a pitfall.
- Reporter
- Can you tell me about the health concerns following an earthquake of this magnitude? What should people be doing to protect themselves?
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- Health official
- Well, I guess we’re all pretty well “shaken up.” But seriously, there are real hazards to our health. First of all, we need to be prepared for aftershocks.
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- Health official
- There is a lot of debris that can fall on you. You’d think people would know better than to run outside during an aftershock, but it’s surprising how many people do, and then they get hurt by falling objects. Also, the drinking water in some areas has been contaminated due to breaks in the sewer lines. If you are in these areas, drink bottled water or follow instructions for boiling your water.
- Reporter
- What is the health department doing about that?
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- Health official
- It’s hard to do much until the state emergency funds are available. But when that happens, we will be able to distribute bottled water to affected areas.