Heat and Health

So, this is a true story.

Young German guy works for a sales organization who has thirty-five-odd employees.  They open from 10AM to 8PM, Monday through Saturday.  It's a nice building and all....although no windows and no air conditioning.  There's some fans staged around the display areas, but with the heat of the past couple of days....by 4PM, it's up near 36C (96.8F).  That's the peak....although nothing is really cooling off until at least 8PM.

So, out of the thirty-five-odd employees.....roughly 20 of them are Muslims.  Because of the number and the amount of peer pressure (most are guys).....there's some frustrations.  You see, it's Ramadan since 18 June, and will continue through 16 July.

No food.  No water.  From sun-up to sun-down.

Because of the lengthy summer day.....we are talking about 16-plus hours of sunshine and heat.

Dehydration issues?  Yeah.  Frustrations working around people who are sipping chilled water, eating an orange, or consuming something cool?  Yes.

Having worked around in Arizona and Panama, and having grown up in Alabama....I have an appreciation of heat and what it does to you.  When you start to get dehydrated.....you make mistakes.  You add up numbers wrong.  You say things which are wrong, or in anger.  In this type of situation.....you get frustrated with the non-Muslims because they sipping soda or water.  It's a frustrated that sticks with you....even when Ramadan ends.

Ramadan always in June?  No, that's the odd thing about this deal.  When this got invented, they decided to use a lunar cycle.  In eight years....it'll be in February.

Causing health damage?  Well....it's a curious over the years that I've come to notice a lot of guys from the Middle East with kidney issues.  They go off to specialized US hospitals and have check-ups but there's not much you can do for a person with these issues.

When Islam was created in the 600AD era.....there wasn't much for a guy to have to worry about.  You'd go through Ramadan and mostly sit around for the day....waiting for the sun to go down. Today?  You have to have a regular job....do physical labor.....think and perform mental actions.  All of this requires stamina and a healthy condition.

With another ten-odd days left, and this heat in Germany continuing.....it'll be curious to see how many guys and gals end up with some heat-stress related issue.

Update: I noted via the Independent (UK) that over 700 Pakistani individuals had died from heat stroke episodes as of the 24th of June, and the vast number relate to Ramadan.  They haven't updated the story since then....but you can figure another 700 likely by today on top of the previous number.