Speaker Menin on public communication failures during outbreak
Speaker Menin describes constituents who didn't know symptoms, vulnerability factors, or precautions, and cites conflicting guidance at Haven Plaza about showering. She calls for clear, consistent, repeated public guidance before the next outbreak.
There's another
area where we must do better, and that is making sure New Yorkers understand exactly what they should do when Legionnaire's disease is detected in their community.
I do not want to suggest that the health department did not communicate.
The department conducted outreach and distributed information, but communication is only successful if people understand the risk and know what actions they need to take.
Throughout this outbreak, I heard repeatedly from constituents who did not know the symptoms of Legionnaire's disease, who was most vulnerable, when they should seek medical attention, or what they could do to proactively protect themselves.
Residents also had basic questions about whether it was safe to shower, drink tap water, or use their air conditioners.
We saw just how confusing public guidance can become at Haven Plaza in a separate Legionella situation involving a building water system.
Video and reports from that situation showed residents receiving differing messages about whether they could even shower.
When we're dealing with a potentially deadly disease, residents should not be left trying to reconcile conflicting information themselves.
The city must provide clear, consistent, and repeated guidance.
New Yorkers should know the symptoms of Legionnaire's disease before the next outbreak.
They should know who is at greater risk.
They should know when to contact a doctor.
And when an outbreak occurs, they should quickly receive clear information.
about what precautions they should take.