Water stagnation as a result of COVID-19 related shutdowns may have led to an increase in Legionnaires’ disease cases in Baltimore. Clinicians and public health practitioners at Johns Hopkins University identified the link between the shutdowns and Legionnaires’ disease after Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center treated four cases of the disease in 2021. It had been several years since the Bayview Medical Center treated a Legionnaires’ disease case. Legionella bacteria can grow within water pipes, especially when stagnant water is present. As buildings became unoccupied and water usage decreased in Baltimore, the stagnant water became “potential hotbeds” for Legionella bacteria to grow. The risk of bacteria growth is heightened in older buildings with pipes that are not well-maintained. To read more about the link between COVID-19 shutdowns and Legionnaires’ disease, click here. To read our firm’s white paper on Legionnaires’ disease and COVID-19, click here. For more information on Legionnaires’ disease, check out the National Academies of Sciences Management of Legionella in Water Systems Report here. Contact Jules Zacher for a 100% free consultation today. THE MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE HAVE BEEN PREPARED BY JULES ZACHER, P.C. FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND ARE NOT LEGAL ADVICE OR A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL COUNSEL.