A Missouri hospital announced Friday that some people who attended a Kansas City Chiefs playoff game in record-cold January suffered frostbite and had to undergo amputations.
Research Medical Center did not provide exact numbers, but said in a statement that it treated dozens of people who experienced frostbite during January’s 11-day cold snap. Twelve of them, including those who had participated in the game on January 13th, had to undergo surgery, mainly to have their fingers and toes amputated. And the hospital said more surgeries are expected over the next two to four weeks as the “injury progresses.”
The University of Kansas Hospital also treated patients for frostbite after the game, but said no cases of amputations were reported.
The temperature for the Dolphins-Chiefs wild-card playoff game was -4 degrees Celsius (-20 degrees Celsius), with wind gusts bringing the temperature down to -27 degrees Celsius (-33 degrees Celsius). This broke the record for the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history, which was -17 degrees Fahrenheit, set against Denver in 1983 and Tennessee in 2016.
The wild-card game was played on the same day the Buffalo Bills were scheduled to host the Pittsburgh Steelers, but a snowstorm dumped up to 2 feet (0.61 meters) of snow in New York, making travel to the game difficult. As a result, the match was postponed for one day. Too dangerous.
The game in Kansas City went ahead as scheduled because there were no similar problems getting to Arrowhead Stadium in the frigid weather, even though the National Weather Service warned of “dangerously cold” windchills. Ta.
Frostbite can occur on exposed skin within 30 minutes, Dr. Megan Garcia, medical director of Research’s Grossman Burn Center, said in a statement, answering one of her frequently asked questions. Stated. If the wind is blowing, the timing could be even shorter, she said.
Fans were allowed to bring heated blankets into the stadium, as well as small pieces of cardboard to place under their feet on the cold concrete.
The coldest game in NFL history remains the 1967 NFL Championship, at minus 13 degrees (minus 25 degrees). In this game, the Packers defeated the Cowboys at Lambeau Field and became known as the Ice Bowl. The wind chill that day was -48°F (-44°C).
The Chiefs did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment from The Associated Press.
