Coronavirus

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California Braces for Possible Legionella Outbreak After Lockdown

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California businesses are reopening after the long lockdown. But our empty offices, hotels, restaurants, and gyms may have collected more than just dust; a deadly bacteria called legionella could be growing in the pipes.

Legionella pneumophila is one of over 58 strains of Legionella bacteria that flourish in showers, sinks, cooling towers, hot tubs, decorative water features, hot water tanks, and plumbing systems. When aerosolized droplets of Legionella pneumophila are inhaled, the bacteria causes a deadly form of pneumonia known as Legionnaires' Disease. Although Legionnaires’ Disease is treatable with antibiotics, about 1 out of 10 people die from the illness; the elderly, smokers, and the immunocompromised are especially vulnerable. The CDC reported about 10,000 cases of Legionnaires’ Disease in 2018, but experts believe the true number of cases is higher. Case numbers are also on the rise; the rate of reported cases grew ninefold from 2000 to 2018. Health officials remain unsure if the trend is an artifact of better testing or indicative of environmental and demographic factors like antiquated infrastructure and a larger elderly population. If the trend continues, the US may be on track for a historic number of cases in 2021; experts fear…

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A Quick Year in Review:2020

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As we welcome the end of an unprecedented year and prepare to welcome 2021, we would like to reflect on some of the key industry topics of 2020 that will likely provide clues to the issues and challenges our industry is sure to experience in the New Year.

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Clean Water is Essential

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The current crisis caused by the novel coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 pandemic has reminded us all how much we rely on essential service workers. Perhaps one of the most invisible but undeniably essential group of workers includes the individuals making sure our faucets are flowing with clean water and our waste is getting properly treated when we brush or flush.

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Babcock Face Mask & Social Distancing Policy

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On Friday the Riverside Board of Supervisors voted to rescind all of the county-wide stay-at-home orders that went into effect in early April and were in addition to Governor Newsom’s restrictions. This decision, which includes relaxing the County Health Officer’s required use of face coverings, will in no way change the requirements for proper PPE, facemasks, and social distancing at Babcock Labs.

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The Path Out of Coronavirus Lockdown? Follow the Wastewater

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As the United State passes the one million mark for documented cases of Covid-19, one of the most frustrating aspects of the current pandemic is that identification and extent of community outbreaks is tied to the number of test kits available. Due to inadequate test kit supplies, available testing has been limited to individuals already experiencing symptoms. This, in turn, has limited the number of identified cases to the number of kits. It is now suspected that in the California Bay Area, the virus may have been circulating in the population more than a month before health officials began looking for it (LA Times, April 11, 2020).

Finding a quick way to locate and identify disease outbreaks before they manifest in the community has researchers at several universities focusing their attention on a surprising yet familiar matrix—wastewater. Interest in the new field of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has gained traction and offers a promising way to identify coronavirus using wastewater. “WBE holds the promise of near real-time monitoring of disease outbreaks,” according to an April 23, 2020 news release from Arizona State University.

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Guidelines on Potential COVID-19 Contaminated Sample Submission & Requirements for Face Masks

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To protect the health of safety of both our staff and clients Babcock Laboratories is taking additional precautions regarding the receipt of sample(s) that may have been in contact with COVID-19. Effective immediately, we request our clients provide prior notice before delivering any sample(s) that have or are suspected to have been in contact with COVID-19. We require a minimum of two hours advance notice in order to provide ample time to prepare staff and the facility for receipt of the sample(s).