Legionnaire's disease

[MRex]

This hot weather has me thinking. All those building reopening post lockdown all over the world will be turning on air con. How many will have thought to do a clean first, especially if they don't usually turn it off? Legionnaire's disease symptoms can sound a bit similar to covid, is there a risk of a big uptick in Legionnaire's and delay in helping people because it's thought to be good?

There was an article about this. It was interesting. I’ll see if I can find it.

theconversation.com/after-coronavirus-another-hidden-respiratory-disease-lurks-in-the-buildings-we-left-behind-139059

I know a manager of a large hotel and they have taken the lockdown time to really spruce up the building and that includes removing all shower heads, flushing the water systems etc

I think any large office building will have a maintenance manager to ensure any air con or standing water is treated correctly.

I work in property and all of our clients running large properties (offices, hotels, schools, etc) have been keeping up with the weekly maintenance to avoid this kind of issue, and they’re now chlorinating the water prior to re-opening.

But it’s the small organisation that you’d need to be careful around - the church halls and the like. Usually managed by volunteers it might not be on their radar.

The smaller charities and voluntary groups I'm involved have got impressive risk assessments (condition of insurance). Legionnaires checks are high up there both having to flush toilets and run taps regularly while buildings were not in use and also checking that water tanks are disinfected before buildings reopen. There have been some fairly high profile legal cases in the recent past where people have been charged with corporate manslaughter after someone died of legionaries. Think there was one with a leisure centre? Really hope people have got this on their radar.

I work in that area and we have been making sure systems are flushed.

It's part of maintenance of many buildings if empty I'd hope.

I feel slightly reassured that I'd just missed this being on the radar. Hopefully little shop / restaurant owners are all aware too.