THE CONVERSATION: After coronavirus, another hidden respiratory disease lurks in the buildings we left behind

Description

Global outbreaks of coronavirus have forced the closing of schools, gyms, offices and other buildings at a scale never seen before. Now, as countries start reopening after lockdown, those previously abandoned buildings could have become a breeding ground for another infection – Legionnaires’ disease.

Legionnaires’ disease is caused by inhaling water droplets that contain the Legionella pneumophilia bacteria. It’s quite rare, but the long periods of inactivity in buildings during lockdown greatly increases the risk of outbreaks.