Michelle Dugan-Delgado has had asthma for as long as she can remember. It's why she always takes an inhaler and face mask with her when she leaves the house — just in case the wind picks up and a dust storm hits.
"I know that it's not safe for me to go outside,” she told DW. "It's like I live in a bubble. I have to really protect myself.”
If dust enters her lungs, it could trigger an asthma attack. Invisible bacteria, fungal spores and viruses carried by dust could also cause a life-threatening infection.
"If I'm outside and a dust storm hits, there's a very high chance I'm going to catch something, which means I will end up in the hospital," the 35-year-old said.
Dugan-Delgado knows the dangers well enough. She's been hospitalized multiple times. Asthma has also taken a deadly toll on her family. In 2009, her younger sister Marie died of an asthma attack at the age of 16.
