Legionnaires’ Disease Risk Grows as Coronavirus Lockdowns Lift

Since original lockdowns of various cities and states, more unexpected consequences from the lockdowns. These consequences become more dangerous and recognized the longer that businesses and buildings remain locked down. A recent article in Everyday Health reports on increasing prevalence of Legionaires Disease which has similar symptoms and risks as COVID 19. There have been some reports that Legionaires has been detected in masks (not verified.) The Key Points from the article:

• Buildings closed down have an increased risk of Legionaires Disease
• CDC buildings were forced to close to detection of Legionella
• Legionaires causes 55,000 to 70,000 deaths annually
• Legionaires symptoms are similar to COVID 19
• The death rate from Legionaires is much higher than COVID 19

Here is an excerpt of the article:

"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that the disease has a 10 percent death rate. Compare that with COVID-19, which is still being studied but has an estimated fatality rate of 1 percent or less, according to Timothy Russell, PhD, a mathematical epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, commenting in the journal Nature.

“The death rate for Legionnaires’ is much higher than what we’ve seen so far for COVID-19, and the complications following infection can be quite debilitating,” says Dr. Pruden, who has studied how corrosive tap water in Flint, Michigan, contributed to outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease there."

Click here to see the entire article in Everyday Health (August 10, 2020.)