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A CLAIM THAT has been widely circulated by Irish users on Facebook in recent days speculates that recent spikes in Covid-19 infection may instead be Legionnaires’ disease caused by mask wearing.
Many of the posts, which have also been shared in the US over the past week, reference a caller to a radio talk show recently whose wife was told she had Covid-19, then later informed she actually had Legionnaires’ disease from “the moisture and bacteria in her mask”.
TheJournal.ie has looked for any references to a radio talk show in Ireland in which a caller told this story about his wife and has found no evidence that it happened.
US factchecking website Snopes also tried to identify the radio talk show but could find no mention of it or evidence that it existed. (If we’re wrong and you have a link to this show, send it our way).
Another similar post suggests wearing a mask could give a person pleurisy.
This is a type of pneumonia which can cause serious illness in people aged over 50 years, smokers, and those with underlying health conditions. Both Legionnaires’ disease and its milder form, Pontiac fever, are caused by the growth of Legionella bacteria in water systems which are not adequately managed.
A person can catch Legionnaires’ disease if they breathe in tiny droplets of water containing bacteria that cause the infection. People are most at risk in places like hotels, hospitals or offices where the bacteria got into the water supply. It is very rare to catch it at home.
People usually get it from drinking water containing the bacteria, from other people with the infection or from places like ponds, lakes and rivers.
The fatality rate of the disease is about 10%. The illness usually starts with flu-like symptoms including fever, tiredness, headache, and muscle pains. This is followed by a dry cough and breathing difficulties that may progress to a severe pneumonia.
The posts appear to be tied in with the general misinformation around the wearing of face coverings.
There have been legitimate reports recently about Legionnaires’ disease, none of which linked it to masks.
A widely-shared article published by US radio broadcaster Georgia Public Broadcasting last weekend pointed to similarities between the symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease and those of Covid-19, such as shortness of breath, cough and fever.
The piece also includes expert commentary on potential risks associated with the recent shutdown of hotels, schools and office buildings that could lead to stagnant water in the lines.
In May, the HSE’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) issued a similar caution.
HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) / TwitterMany buildings have been closed during #COVID19. This can increase the risk of Legionella growth in building’s water systems. Legionella can cause Legionnaires’ disease, a type of pneumonia which can cause serious illness. For prevention advice visit: https://t.co/Cz6d32e3q4 pic.twitter.com/JH8YsUj95Z
— HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) (@hpscireland) August 4, 2020
The HSE said it could be caused due to bacteria growth in appliances which have been left untouched due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the current pandemic, many buildings have been closed, or their use restricted.
“This can increase the risk of Legionella growth in the water systems and associated equipment including evaporative air conditioning systems, water fountains, showers, spa pools, and other equipment if the water systems have not been managed adequately,” the HSE said.
However the HSE made no link between Covid-19 symptoms and those of Legionnaires and did not point to an increase in the number of cases. It was simply a warning ahead of a return to work for some businesses.
The HSE has said a person cannot contract the illness from wearing a face covering – and in fact cases of legionella infection are lower this year compared to 2019.
A spokesperson for the HSE this week told TheJournal.ie there is “no link between wearing a mask and an increased risk of legionella infection”.
“Legionella is found in the environment and is not transmitted from person to person or by re-breathing one’s own respiratory secretions,” they said.
The HSE also pointed out that the number of legionella notifications in 2020 (weeks 1-31) is seven, this compares to 15 cases notified for the same time period in 2019.
There is therefore no evidence of increased notification of legionella infection in Ireland in 2020.
Legionella.org, a US organisation, has also said people cannot contract Legionnaires’ disease from wearing face masks – even if they haven’t been washed:
“Legionella bacteria is transmitted by aspirating drinking water or breathing in water droplets. Legionella is not spread from person-to-person in respiratory droplets nor does the bacteria survive on dry surfaces. Your mask would not be a source of transmission for the Legionella bacteria.”
Pleurisy is an inflammation of the lining around the lung. The most common symptom is a sharp chest pain that feels worse when breathing.
Causes include a viral infection, such as flu, a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, a blood clot blocking the flow into the lungs and lung cancer.
In early July, similar posts in the US claimed a healthy 19-year-old shop worker was diagnosed with pleurisy due to wearing a mask for over eight hours a day for five or six days a week, “breathing in her own bacteria”.
“There is absolutely no truth in that claim,” said Humberto Choi, a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic, told Associated Press.
“There are thousands of health care workers wearing face masks everyday including masks that are much tighter than simple surgical masks. Nobody is getting pleurisy because of that.”
Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer at the American Lung Association, also told AP that the claims are “a reach”.
“I don’t see a medically plausible mechanism for mask wearing to cause pleurisy,” he said.
The wearing of face coverings is now mandatory on public transport in Ireland and will be mandatory in shops and shopping centres from Monday.
Health experts have said proper use of masks is important to avoid contamination and to best protect those around you.
DO
DON’T
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There is a lot of false news and scaremongering being spread in Ireland at the moment about coronavirus. Here are some practical ways for you to assess whether the messages that you’re seeing – especially on WhatsApp – are true or not.
STOP, THINK AND CHECK
Look at where it’s coming from. Is it someone you know? Do they have a source for the information (e.g. the HSE website) or are they just saying that the information comes from someone they know? A lot of the false news being spread right now is from people claiming that messages from ‘a friend’ of theirs. Have a look yourself – do a quick Google search and see if the information is being reported elsewhere.
Secondly, get the whole story, not just a headline. A lot of these messages have got vague information (“all the doctors at this hospital are panicking”) and don’t mention specific details. This is often – but not always a sign – that it may not be accurate.
Finally, see how you feel after reading it. A lot of these false messages are designed to make people feel panicked. They’re deliberately manipulating your feelings to make you more likely to share it. If you feel panicked after reading something, check it out and see if it really is true.
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here
Have you gotten a message on WhatsApp or Facebook or Twitter about coronavirus that you’re not sure about and want us to check it out? Message or mail us and we’ll look into debunking it. WhatsApp: 085 221 4696 or Email: answers@thejournal.ie
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The fact an article like this needs to be written is a poor reflection of where our society is at.
@NotMyIreland: Healthcare workers the world over have been wearing masks daily for probably 60 years.
If there were any health concerns, we’d know them by now.
The amount of whinging and bullsh*t from certain people is astounding.
@NotMyIreland: What do you mean by that? What are you implying?
@Lao Tzu: Exactly what it says on the tin. Its a poor reflection on society that an article like this needs to be written. Why? Well its because peices like this only have to be published because of false information spread on social media.
@NotMyIreland: I still don’t understand where you’re coming from, especially regarding social media? What sort of a tin are you referring to?
@Lao Tzu: Can’t help you so.
@NotMyIreland: Ok, but maybe ‘our society’ is where it is because some people like to pontificate and preach on social media/ news platforms without contributing to said society; there’s no point in being a hurler in a ditch unless one likes the sound of their own voice – just a thought.
@Lao Tzu: I understood what he said. Why can’t you.
@Cian Martin: false …. We have been wearing them since MAY 2020…
@Lao Tzu: Pretty sure he is talking about how dumb people have gotten over the last few years. People take what they read on facebook and other social media platforms as fact.
@Emma Fitzpatrick: Then I have serious questions for the surgical staff who operated on me in June 2019…
@Lao Tzu: I understood perfectly what he said. It was simple English. What part exactly confused you.
@Emma Fitzpatrick: Try to keep up he said healthcare workers!
@Sarah Hempenstall: only ever worn whilst surgery has been preformed …i repeat again they have only been worn since may 2020… never outside OT…
@Omar Khayamm: I am a HCW… Duh!!!!
Dress it up how you like. If we knew in March what we know now, we would never have locked down our country and wished away our liberties so easily.
It is a bad disease but it is not the plague we thought it was. We should be rolling back restrictions. Anybody suggesting otherwise is not keeping up with the current information.
@Barry: What is it with you lot and liberties? People didn’t give up their liberties, they made a choice to do something that might help society as a whole.
Things aren’t as bad as we thought it could get, because of the actions taken.
@Barry: it’s a bad disease. Say it again and again. A very bad disease, and the reason it’s not a plague is because of the lockdown.
@Barry: so the fact the spread of the disease has been slowed everyplace that had a lockdown is just a coincidence
@Barry: another tedious “patriot” know all expert.
@Pablo: you lot?
“Made a choice to do something” and “gave up your liberties” are essentially the same thing said different ways.
We made great sacrifices willingly, thinking a plague was about to land on our shores. Our sarcrafices either paid off or it was never going to be a plague ( doesn’t really matter ). Either way the dark days are behind us and we have a right to expect restriction rollbacks. We also have a right to question why they aren’t happening.
@Cian Martin: we have to keep saying that…… over and over. The alternative is that we we over reacted, our efforts were in vain, we shortened the lives of 1000s needlessly, saddled our kids with tremendous debt. And that doesn’t bare repeating.
@bmul: it hasn’t.
@Ian Breathnach: “Barry” probably IS Gemma O’Doherty! Or her co conspiracy nut Waters trying to get back on Twitter….
@Barry: Blissful ignorance is forgivable, but willful ignorance…?
@Colm O’Leary: you miss the irony of comment..
@Colm O’Leary: for what it is worth. I strongly dislike the former and occasionally agree with the latter. It is very telling that they have been invoked several times as a way of not responding to my post.
Remember the old adage ‘don’t feed the trolls’. Your replies to these animals give them oxygen
@All Aboard To China: I feed mostly off beer. But i am not trolling. I feel very strongly for the barman, barbers and events staff etc of our country. As well as the people of Kildare/Laois/Offaly now. This is so unnecessary.
@John: Maybe you’re trying to present yourself as a clever person, but you’re failing – don’t misuse words or quotes until you understand what it is you’re trying to say.
@Barry: that’s like saying wear seat belts to avoid being killed in car crashes, and then when the numbers of people killed in car crashes go down, questioning why we are wearing seat belts when the numbers of people killed are so low
@Cian Martin: sweeden invalidates that viewpoint.
@Cian Martin: You have been well and truly fallen for the propaganda.
@Masses are awakening: Sweden has worse levels of debt and economic damage than other Scandinavian countries that went into lockdown.
@Vladimir Macro: whats this propaganda and agenda some people are talking about and who has it? Two words that are being tossed around and i’m yet to get an explanation
@Barry: Restriction Rollbacks: a while ago I couldn’t go further than 2km from my home in Cork. On Monday I am going to a hotel in Mayo. Is that a good enough example of a rollback for you?
@Barry: The dead don’t care about their liberties.
Facebook is a disease and people who use it spread their BS.
@RogersRabbit: sadly for us all, an axe has been mercilessly spliced thru the hunk of a well worn and slightly rotted wood of our society. There are 2 halves now, and many splinters. No man can undo this. There are medium that can. There is evil that will.
I heard if you wear two masks at the same time you’ll get pluralsy……
@Augustus hoop: Hahaha, very clever :)
@Augustus hoop: hahaha, wit of the week award!
I suppose the following are all conspiracy nuts too!
”With numbers diminishing very quickly in Sweden, we see no point in wearing a face mask in Sweden, not even on public transport.” Anders Tegnell – State epidemiologist. – July 24th.
“By all means people can wear masks but they can’t say it’s an evidence-based decision…” – Professor Carl Heneghan, epidemiologist at Oxford universitie’s center for evidence based medicine – July 12th.
“From a medical point of view, there is no evidence of a medical effect of wearing face masks, so we decided not to impose a national obligation,” said Dutch Medical Care Minister Tamara van Ark. – July 29th.
@RRJ Whelan: 2days ago Anders tegnell said if we see problems again we will look at face masks.
The Dutch government including Tamara van ark have since said face coverings will be revisited if cases go up .
@RRJ Whelan: Sweden has 4 times the case numbers and 4 times the death rate and they have twice the population of Ireland. Yeah…. they’re doing soooooooooooo well. How do you explain those stats? Sweden has allowed their citizens to die. Its shameful.
@bmul: @bmul: And he also countered it with..
“One reason is that the evidence base for using masks in society is still very weak. Even if more and more countries are now enforcing them in different ways …”
Tamara van Ark said the Dutch May look at it again but maintained her position that the evidence right now is not there, hence no mandatory masks in shops in Holland.
@RRJ Whelan: so they did both say IF cases go up they will look as face covering again ?? That’s a yes what ever way you want to spin it .
@Ian Breathnach: where are you getting such BS stats from? Sweden and Ireland have almost the same death rates by age demographics. According to the CSO, 92% of all deaths are over 65 yr olds, similar in Sweden. As of July 10th Ireland had 238 deaths per 100K over 65 yr olds, Sweden had 248.
Same old ridiculous claims about Sweden. They got it right – accept it. Infections and death rates plummeting, no lockdown, no school closures, no masks and no mass hysteria.
@bmul: And they both said the evidence is not there to support wearing them. That’s a no, whatever way you want to spin it.
@RRJ Whelan: but Sweden have said they got it wrong, swedens front line have said they got it wrong, compare Sweden to the other counties in its region and its the worst so far.
@bmul: The more testing being done will naturally show more cases, particularly with the asymptomatic/ mild cases; all it proves is that fewer people are dying as a result of Covid-19.
Cases do not equate with deaths – why can’t people understand that?
Especially with the propaganda being fed by news/ social media networks such as case results and actual death figures being conflated! It’s totally bizarre how this and the previous government have manipulated people into submission to the point whereby 3 counties now have lockdown imposed on them – nearly 6 months later! It’s so controlling and authoritarian it’s very disturbing to observe and to be a part of. There were so many measures and decisions which could’ve been taken 6 months ago, but now, essentially we’re in lockdown again due to the inefficiency of every single government department/ quango/ minister/ TD/ Co Councillor! More to the point, none of these measures affect any of the above because they are on salaries – increased salaries in some cases – but the rest of us have to shut up and put up?
What is the matter with us – is it really post-colonial oppression? Have we lost our will to fight? Have we lost our voices? John Hume died recently and he fought for human rights and civil liberties, it’s ironic that the civil liberties he fought for were denied to him at his own burial; he was intelligent and sensitive enough to know that the only way to change politics is to get involved in politics.
We need to change politics in Ireland because the only people the system suits are the politicians and the civil servants which breast-feed them.
@RRJ Whelan:
Where are you getting your numbers from. Ireland has 1700 deaths, Sweden 5,700. That is 570 per million compared to Ireland at 350 per million. A big difference.
@David Shaw: age……..they have a much older demographic.
@Daniel Roche: they said they got it wrong in relation to moving old folks into homes where many died, same as Ireland. Dont be trying to mislead people.
Legionnaires disease is due to a bacteria in water which is breath in and NOT ingested. Surgery ward and lab people wear mask for hours every day of the year and don’t catch pleuresy more often than those who never wear masks. The number of stupidities you can read is properly astonishing! “
@Andre le Flohic: surgeons work in oxygen enriched controlled environments to counter the hypoxia. Do some research.
@Masses are awakening: that’s wrong. Operating theatres are not oxygen enriched. Besides, what about all the doctors and nurses who wear masks outside an operating theatre?
Wear a mask and stop posting on journal.ie.
Maybe if the journal turned comments off on Covid articles, it would help to curve the spread of misinformation. Seems to me like there are lots of people who prefer to believe this is all a conspiracy.
@Mango mango: Seems to me there is an irrational fear of questions being asked! We are led to believe that posing a question is now dangerous for public health, but I would suggest the only time a question is ‘dangerous’ is when it may actually uncover a hidden truth. Let all voices speak openly, and the truth shall be seen, suppress all questions and the truth will remain interspersed with lies in the long grass. Shutting down debate is about authoritarianism and nothing else!Questions are the heartbeat of all philosophy, science, and knowledge and every human being has valid questions to pose!
Put the mask on your head people…. please save yourself……
Get over yourself and wear a mask!!!
This may be seen as toxic.
Sorry.
@Sue Kelly: totally not toxic sue and well said. Absolutely no reason to apologise. I am actually sorry you said sorry if you get me.
@Sue Kelly:
Look at it this way….. If the advice to wear masks was displayed in 20 foot flashing letters on the side of Liberty Hall, a vast majority of the clowns out there wouldn’t take any notice…. They know it all….
Go to youtube and watch Vernon Coleman instead of watching RTE… You will soon see that this is a scam. Survival rate is 99.74 % and all the brainwashed sheep talking about increased cases…. We should celebrate increased cases once nobody is dying as it means the disease is weakening and herd immunity is growing.
@Masses are awakening: very underrated comment.
@Masses are awakening: you mean Vernon Coleman who wrote the article “Aids-hoax of the Century”? That Vernon Coleman? Reliable source alright.
@B Condún: say what you like about Jim Corr but the facts are that he has to have seen his sisters naked at least once when they were on tour so i’ll gladly listen to all his tripe in the hope that one day he reveals some details
To stop legionnaires run your water for at least an hour before you start using it to flush out any water that may be residual in the pipes!i know there’s a ‘restriction’ but to stay safe do it
To stop legionnaires run your water for at least an hour before you start using it to flush out any water that may be residual in the pipes!i know there’s a ‘restriction’ but to stay safe do it
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