CDC warns of mold in the wake of Sandy
After Hurricane Sandy swept its way up the East Coast and caused wide-spread devastation, particularly to coastal parts of New York and New Jersey, the cleanup effort is expected to be fairly extensive.
In addition to the other problems that the storm may have caused, those who have experienced flooding have been advised that they should watch out for mold within their homes. While the New York Department of Public Health issued advisories about this directly after the storm, new directions concerning the dangers of mold within the home are coming from higher up.
It is estimated that 10 percent of the population suffers from a mold allergy, but even those who are not allergic to it can have health problems as a result of breathing air that contains mold spores.
According to Christopher Poitier of the Centers For Disease control and prevention (CDC), the very young, elderly and persons with asthma are most at risk for becoming ill due to mold.
"Mold is going to be a serious problem unless you take care of it right now," said Portier in an interview with ABC news.
Visible mold is easily taken care of with a simple solution of bleach and water, but homeowners can encounter a problem with areas that they can't see. It's recommended that any standing water that hasn't yet been removed be cleaned and dried as quickly as possible.
Always wear a respirator mask when working on a house that is likely to have mold problems. Once the issue has been attended to, you can use a whole house air purifier to ensure that the air you breathe is as clear as possible.