Tweet
More employees report feeling ill at Johns Hopkins at Keswick
At least 11 employees report illness symptoms, including headache, nausea; complex's south building closed Tuesday
Hub staff report/ March 4, 2013 Posted in University News
At least 11 employees reported feeling ill at the Johns Hopkins at Keswick complex in north Baltimore on Monday and seven were taken to area hospitals, a university official said.
The illnesses, which come less than a week after a similar outbreak of illnesses there that was linked to contaminated water, prompted the university to announce that the south building will be closed Tuesday as a precaution while investigators continue to try to determine what is making people sick.
City emergency and health department workers responded to the complex Monday afternoon after employees complained of symptoms similar to those that prompted last week's evacuation of the south building?headaches, nausea, and light-headedness. Testing conducted by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday evening identified no likely sources in any part of the south building, university officials said in an email announcement sent Monday night around 9:30 p.m.
The announcement also said that no connection has been identified between Monday's illnesses and those last week. At least 23 reported feeling ill last week, which health workers said could likely be attributed to a hot water heater that harbored a source of nitrates and nitrites.
More...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More reports of sickness at Hopkins building
Posted: 03/04/2013
By: WMAR Staff
Officials with the Baltimore County Health Department say about a dozen people reported feeling ill at a Johns Hopkins building Monday.
Of the 11 employees reporting sickness, several were transported to local hospitals with symptoms of nausea, dizziness and headache.
The location is that of the Keswick South building, the same building that was evacuated last week as several people complained of nausea and dizziness.
The Keswick South building is a hospital administration building/office.
Read more: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/reg...#ixzz2MmDpsB9P
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water heater replaced at Hopkins' Keswick campus
No link reported to last week's illnesses
March 05, 2013|By Steve Kilar, The Baltimore Sun
Officials on Tuesday continued investigating the second round of illnesses in less than a week at a North Baltimore office building but did not quickly find a link between the two bouts.
Still, officials overseeing the investigation are confident that the building is safe and have decided it will be open for business on Wednesday.
Health department investigators "are continuing their epidemiological investigation of all the illnesses reported at Keswick, those from last week and those from Monday," they said.
Investigators are still trying to determine if the two incidents of sickness are connected, said Tiffany Thomas Smith, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore City Health Department.
Employees worked in the south building on Thursday and Friday last week and most of Monday morning before the second batch of illnesses were reported Monday. Throughout that time the contaminated water heater was out of the picture.
More...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Announcements
Johns Hopkins at Keswick Incident Update (3/5/13 at 6:58 pm)
Communication from JHU / JHHS
Dear Employees:
Both buildings at Johns Hopkins at Keswick will be open for business on Wednesday.
We have been working with epidemiologists and other investigators from the Baltimore and state health departments. They concur with and have approved our decision. Meanwhile, they are continuing their epidemiological investigation of all the illnesses reported at Keswick, those from last week and those from Monday.
The precautionary closure of the Keswick south building on Tuesday has given us complete confidence that the building is safe for employees. On what do we base that assertion?
?Late yesterday, we learned that the nitrites that made employees sick last Tuesday apparently were accidentally infused last Monday afternoon into the hot water heater serving the affected half of the south building. This corroborates our strong belief, based on hundreds of tests since last week, that this one hot water heater was the source of those illnesses.
?That hot water heater was cut out of the system last Wednesday and has since been replaced.
?We have flushed the water in the system repeatedly. And we have tested the water repeatedly. The results of the tests Johns Hopkins has had conducted are negative for nitrites and nitrates.
Even though we have every indication that the building is safe, we know that many of you remain concerned. So we are taking these extra steps:
?First, we have installed water coolers throughout the south building. These coolers are from an outside vendor. They are not and will not be filled with building water.
?Second, we will have on site a doctor and a nurse from the Office of Occupational Health. Anyone who experiences any symptoms can, therefore, be seen and evaluated immediately. The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program will also be on site and available to anyone who wishes to talk through any feelings of concern.
?Third, we will have a meeting first thing Wednesday morning for all managers and supervisors in the south building. This meeting will convene in the Keswick auditorium at 8 a.m.
?Fourth, university officials will then go throughout the south building and hold information sessions for all employees in their work areas. We will address building conditions, health and safety, human resources issues and other issues.
?Fifth, we will continue to test water in the building on at least a weekly basis for the foreseeable future. To be absolutely clear, we are confident that water in the building is currently safe. That definitely includes all bathrooms, kitchens and other water sources that are still blocked off with caution tape, the sources that were served by the now-replaced water heater.
Those water sources will remain closed on Wednesday, and all water to those sources will be shut off so that we may continue to flush the system. All tests results to date show those facilities are also safe. We are awaiting final confirmatory tests from the state health department. When we get those results, probably in a few days, we will have a final inspection by the city Health Department and be able to reopen those facilities as well.
One final note: We are aware, of course, that snowfall is forecast in the Baltimore overnight tonight and during the day on Wednesday. Keswick will be open. If the university makes any sort of announcement about limiting operations on Wednesday, the usual rules will apply, including the obligation of all required attendance employees to report to work.
Sincerely,
Ronald R. Peterson
President, The Johns Hopkins Health System
Executive Vice President, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Daniel G. Ennis
Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration
The Johns Hopkins University
Dennis O'Shea
Office of Communications
The Johns Hopkins University
dro@jhu.edu / 443-287-9960
At least 11 employees report illness symptoms, including headache, nausea; complex's south building closed Tuesday
Hub staff report/ March 4, 2013 Posted in University News
At least 11 employees reported feeling ill at the Johns Hopkins at Keswick complex in north Baltimore on Monday and seven were taken to area hospitals, a university official said.
The illnesses, which come less than a week after a similar outbreak of illnesses there that was linked to contaminated water, prompted the university to announce that the south building will be closed Tuesday as a precaution while investigators continue to try to determine what is making people sick.
City emergency and health department workers responded to the complex Monday afternoon after employees complained of symptoms similar to those that prompted last week's evacuation of the south building?headaches, nausea, and light-headedness. Testing conducted by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday evening identified no likely sources in any part of the south building, university officials said in an email announcement sent Monday night around 9:30 p.m.
The announcement also said that no connection has been identified between Monday's illnesses and those last week. At least 23 reported feeling ill last week, which health workers said could likely be attributed to a hot water heater that harbored a source of nitrates and nitrites.
More...
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More reports of sickness at Hopkins building
Posted: 03/04/2013
By: WMAR Staff
Officials with the Baltimore County Health Department say about a dozen people reported feeling ill at a Johns Hopkins building Monday.
Of the 11 employees reporting sickness, several were transported to local hospitals with symptoms of nausea, dizziness and headache.
The location is that of the Keswick South building, the same building that was evacuated last week as several people complained of nausea and dizziness.
The Keswick South building is a hospital administration building/office.
Read more: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/reg...#ixzz2MmDpsB9P
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Water heater replaced at Hopkins' Keswick campus
No link reported to last week's illnesses
March 05, 2013|By Steve Kilar, The Baltimore Sun
Officials on Tuesday continued investigating the second round of illnesses in less than a week at a North Baltimore office building but did not quickly find a link between the two bouts.
Still, officials overseeing the investigation are confident that the building is safe and have decided it will be open for business on Wednesday.
Health department investigators "are continuing their epidemiological investigation of all the illnesses reported at Keswick, those from last week and those from Monday," they said.
Investigators are still trying to determine if the two incidents of sickness are connected, said Tiffany Thomas Smith, a spokeswoman for the Baltimore City Health Department.
Employees worked in the south building on Thursday and Friday last week and most of Monday morning before the second batch of illnesses were reported Monday. Throughout that time the contaminated water heater was out of the picture.
More...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Announcements
Johns Hopkins at Keswick Incident Update (3/5/13 at 6:58 pm)
Communication from JHU / JHHS
Dear Employees:
Both buildings at Johns Hopkins at Keswick will be open for business on Wednesday.
We have been working with epidemiologists and other investigators from the Baltimore and state health departments. They concur with and have approved our decision. Meanwhile, they are continuing their epidemiological investigation of all the illnesses reported at Keswick, those from last week and those from Monday.
The precautionary closure of the Keswick south building on Tuesday has given us complete confidence that the building is safe for employees. On what do we base that assertion?
?Late yesterday, we learned that the nitrites that made employees sick last Tuesday apparently were accidentally infused last Monday afternoon into the hot water heater serving the affected half of the south building. This corroborates our strong belief, based on hundreds of tests since last week, that this one hot water heater was the source of those illnesses.
?That hot water heater was cut out of the system last Wednesday and has since been replaced.
?We have flushed the water in the system repeatedly. And we have tested the water repeatedly. The results of the tests Johns Hopkins has had conducted are negative for nitrites and nitrates.
Even though we have every indication that the building is safe, we know that many of you remain concerned. So we are taking these extra steps:
?First, we have installed water coolers throughout the south building. These coolers are from an outside vendor. They are not and will not be filled with building water.
?Second, we will have on site a doctor and a nurse from the Office of Occupational Health. Anyone who experiences any symptoms can, therefore, be seen and evaluated immediately. The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program will also be on site and available to anyone who wishes to talk through any feelings of concern.
?Third, we will have a meeting first thing Wednesday morning for all managers and supervisors in the south building. This meeting will convene in the Keswick auditorium at 8 a.m.
?Fourth, university officials will then go throughout the south building and hold information sessions for all employees in their work areas. We will address building conditions, health and safety, human resources issues and other issues.
?Fifth, we will continue to test water in the building on at least a weekly basis for the foreseeable future. To be absolutely clear, we are confident that water in the building is currently safe. That definitely includes all bathrooms, kitchens and other water sources that are still blocked off with caution tape, the sources that were served by the now-replaced water heater.
Those water sources will remain closed on Wednesday, and all water to those sources will be shut off so that we may continue to flush the system. All tests results to date show those facilities are also safe. We are awaiting final confirmatory tests from the state health department. When we get those results, probably in a few days, we will have a final inspection by the city Health Department and be able to reopen those facilities as well.
One final note: We are aware, of course, that snowfall is forecast in the Baltimore overnight tonight and during the day on Wednesday. Keswick will be open. If the university makes any sort of announcement about limiting operations on Wednesday, the usual rules will apply, including the obligation of all required attendance employees to report to work.
Sincerely,
Ronald R. Peterson
President, The Johns Hopkins Health System
Executive Vice President, Johns Hopkins Medicine
Daniel G. Ennis
Senior Vice President, Finance and Administration
The Johns Hopkins University
Dennis O'Shea
Office of Communications
The Johns Hopkins University
dro@jhu.edu / 443-287-9960
