""Every time I hear about Legionella or pneumonia, my heart drops," said Ian Avant, who experienced long-term kidney damage from the outbreak."
"Patricia Miller expressed her fear, stating, "I no longer walk to the bus stop on Fifth Avenue but instead take a cab to work, too afraid to walk past the two buildings.""
"An August inspection report revealed no records of regular monitoring or disinfection of the cooling tower at the lab building, which was under construction."
"A Gothamist investigation found that Harlem Hospital ignored its own cooling tower maintenance plan prior to the outbreak, failing to conduct necessary tests for Legionella."
Last summer, a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Central Harlem affected over 100 individuals, prompting fear among residents. The outbreak was linked to cooling towers at Harlem Hospital and a nearby public health lab. Residents like Patricia Miller and Ian Avant have changed their daily routines due to fear of the disease. Investigations revealed that the hospital neglected its cooling tower maintenance plan, raising questions about public health oversight and accountability for the outbreak's causes and consequences.
Read at Gothamist
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