Asbestos Workers Are At Higher Risk For Covid-19 Complications
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and can cause extra complications for people with existing lung and breathing issues such as asbestos-related diseases. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis to be the three significant health effects of asbestos exposure. All three are classified as preexisting lung diseases.
Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, and Lung Cancer
People are often exposed to asbestos in their workplaces, communities, or homes. If asbestos-containing products are somehow disturbed, microscopic asbestos fibers are then released into the air. When those asbestos fibers are breathed in, they may become embedded and trapped in the lungs or other soft organ tissue. Over time, these fibers can accumulate and cause scarring and inflammation, affecting breathing and leading to serious health problems.
According to NIOSH, some of the riskiest industries for occupational health in the United States involve asbestos exposure. Even low exposures to asbestos can cause severe health problems such as chronic shortness of breath, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma, a form of cancer caused only by exposure to asbestos. Those already diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or breathing problems are at the highest risk for developing severe complications if contracting the virus.
Asbestosis results from long-term exposure to tiny asbestos fibers, which leads to lung scarring and stiffened lung over time. People working in construction, heavy industries, maintenance, and military were exposed to a high concentration of asbestos fibers.
How Does Coronavirus Affect the Lungs?
As the coronavirus attacks the lungs, the virus causes lung tissue to produce an increase in fluid and cellular waste known as exudate. This fluid and matter buildup causes inflammation of vital tissues such as the linings of air sacs and pleura, which is the tissue surrounding the lungs. These vital tissues have likely already been damaged by cancer cells or various treatments in cancer patients.
Damaged tissue in the lungs becomes more prone to infection as they lack the natural defenses of healthy cells. This inability to fight off infection puts the patient at risk for pneumonia, septicemia, or other complications leading to organ failure or death.
Former Industrial Workers with Asbestos Diseases are at Higher Risk for COVID
Lincoln County, Montana, has some of the highest asbestos mortality rates in the nation. At least 400 people died from asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Almost 1 in 10 people in Libby, MT, have an asbestos-related illness due to years of breathing in asbestos dust and contaminated soil from the town’s former vermiculite plant owned by W. R Grace. As a result of environmental damage and catastrophic illnesses stemming from asbestos contamination, in 2002, the EPA declared Libby and Lincoln County a Superfund site. In 2009, the EPA declared a public health emergency for the area. The site is still considered dangerous.
COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), spreading rapidly throughout the United States and elsewhere. According to the Occupational Health & Safety Organization, former workers with occupational lung diseases are at an increased risk of contracting the disease, potentially due to the compromised immune systems and state of their health.
Asbestos Abatement Workers at Risk for Mesothelioma and COVID-19
During the coronavirus pandemic, several cities are taking advantage of public space closures to renovate older buildings and make them more energy-efficient. Installation of new windows and insulation often requires asbestos abatement workers to remove asbestos. In the U.S., around 39,000 workers die every year from asbestos-related diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic makes these workers even more vulnerable.
If you have received a diagnosis of an asbestos-related disease exacerbated by COVID-19, seek the counsel of Goldberg Persky, White P.C.. Don’t let time limit your rights. Contact us now.
