North Carolina is distributing Benadryl and EpiPens as yellow jackets swarm from Helene flooding
Deadly floods of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina has also disrupted the underground nests of yellow jackets, bees and other insects, causing them to swarm and sting people struggling to recover from the storm.
It has caused such a large increase in requests for medications to protect people allergic to stings that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is purchasing Benadryl and epinephrine injections to help fill requests through hospitals, emergency medical personnel and physicians. And the humanitarian aid group Direct Relief says it has sent more than 2,000 EpiPen shots to community health centers, clinics and pharmacies in western North Carolina.
“We get requests for EpiPens in every disaster, but this one is definitely an outlier,” said Alycia Clark, director of pharmacy for Direct Relief. Many of the people coming in with stings are electricians who work to repair power lines and other outdoor workers, Clark said.
Pharmacists in the state can also provide emergency refills for people already prescribed allergy medications, according to a spokesperson for the state health department. The state plans to allow people to buy epinephrine injections like EpiPens without a prescription, and is working to collect and distribute drug donations.
Although most people are not allergic to stings from bees and other insects, irritation and pain can be intense and stings can swell and remain painful for days, according to the Mayo Clinic. And some people may have a severe allergic reaction that can lead to anaphylaxis, which can cause breathing difficulties, swelling of the tongue and throat, weak pulse and loss of consciousness. In these situations, it is critical to administer epinephrine immediately.
Being stung more than ten times can also cause a build-up of venom in the body, which can cause serious illnesses such as dizziness, fever, convulsions or vomiting.
To reduce the risk of stings, experts recommend wearing long, light-colored clothing with a smooth finish, avoiding perfumes, smelly soaps and deodorants. If there is even one stinging insect nearby, they recommend staying calm and quiet and not hitting it. But if there are several stings, they say it is better to quickly go indoors or to a shady place. When they sting, bees release a chemical that attracts other bees.
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