Canadian woman diagnosed with ‘climate change’ in world-first diagnosis

Dr. Kyle Merritt of British Columbia created a new diagnosis, simply suffering from ‘climate change.’ His patient, a Canadian woman, experienced breathing issues in line with the country’s record heat waves. 

“If we’re not looking at the underlying cause, and we’re just treating the symptoms, we’re just going to keep falling further and further behind,” Dr. Merritt told Glacier Media. However, the woman was previously diagnosed with asthma, diabetes, and was living in a trailer without air conditioning.

Dr. Merritt received praise and criticism for his diagnosis from the international medical community. “I think it’s really great that medical professionals are starting to bring visibility to the fact that climate change is actually a health hazard,” Marina Romanello of the Lancet told Euronews Green. 

Opposing his ruling, Climate Realism’s Anthony Watts wrote, “Merritt’s diagnosis was a political, not a medical statement, and might be considered medical malpractice. Whereas each of the patient’s conditions has identifiable medical treatments, there is no medical treatment for climate change.” 

Dr. Merrit works as a clinician in the Kootenay Medical Centre, in the emergency department at Kootenay Lake Hospital, and at the University of British Columbia in resident and medical student education.

The scientific community has increasingly looked to climate change as a defining cause for medical issues. For instance, a recent Yale study suggests 70 percent of Americans experience anxiety or depression in relation to climate change. Psychologist Noah Oderberg suggests concerned Americans are developing “pre-PTSD” because of fears regarding the future of the planet.