Health officials are warning parents and students returning to in-person instruction that traces of Legionella, the bacteria responsible for Legionnaires disease, have been found at several schools in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Legionnaires disease is a serious and sometimes fatal type of pneumonia which can be caught by breathing in mist from water contaminated with the bacteria. The bacteria can multiply in dormant water systems.
“It causes a lung infection, if it’s at high enough dose. And that lung infection can be fairly serious for people who have immunocompromised immune systems, or prior smokers that have… preexisting conditions,” said Andrew Whelton, an associate professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University.
During an interview with CBSN. Whelton presented three ways that Legionella could be detected at schools: “stagnant or slowly-flowing water, warmer water temperatures and little to no chemical disinfectant.” Similar concerns have been raised about the potential bacteria in empty office buildings that have been shut down during the pandemic.
There are currently no federal regulations that require testing or disclosure of test results for the bacteria found in schools.
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
The group representing the airline industry worldwide endorsed passenger coronavirus testing at airports as a method for resuming international travel by plane.
The International Air Transport Association said that testing is one part of a three-point plan that includes implementing guidelines and international coordination so that entrance requirements are the same in every country.
In response to growing unrest and a lingering pandemic, Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie criticized the government’s handling of systemic racism and the pandemic, calling them a “tragic embarrassment.”
Lurie added that change will not happen until we “realize we’re responsible for it.
On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill protecting tenants from eviction and property owners from foreclosure due to the economic fallout of Covid-19.
According to a news release from the governor’s office, “no tenant can be evicted before February 1, 2021 as a result of rent owed due to a COVID-19 related hardship accrued between March 4 – August 31, 2020, if the tenant provides a declaration of hardship.” Tenants experiencing financial hardship between September 1 and the end of January 2021 will be required to pay a least 25 percent of their rent to avoid eviction.
Homeowners will also be able to avoid foreclosure under the requirements of the new bill.
A new poll conducted by Ipsos for the World Economic Forum reveals that about 74 percent of people worldwide say they would get the coronavirus vaccine once it becomes available. According to poll results, citizens in China are most willing to get the vaccine while residents in Russia are least willing.
67% of Americans said they’d get the vaccine while 33% expressed little or no interest. Sixty percent of those who refuse the vaccine say side-effects were their biggest worry and 37% said they did not think it will be effective.
Mask-less riders will now be required to provide a selfie as proof they’re wearing a face covering before boarding an Uber.
The San Francisco-based company issued a new policy Tuesday that says if a driver reports to Uber that a rider wasn’t wearing a mask, the rider will have to take a selfie while wearing a mask the next time they call for a driver.
In May, Uber drivers were given a similar requirement in an effort to make riders feel safe while using their service during the pandemic.
Despite a rise in coronavirus cases among young people, most of Florida students have returned to in-person classes for the fall semester. In the Sunshine State, COVID-19 cases in children jumped by more than 23 percent with about 9,200 new infections in the last two-plus weeks. The majority of the new cases were teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17.
The NFL and NFL Players Association has announced four new confirmed positive tests among players in their latest coronavirus testing results for Aug. 21 to 29. Six new confirmed positive test results were reported among team personnel tested. No teams or names of those infected were released.
