The discovery of two more cases of Legionnaires’ disease at Tracey Towers is creating two opposing reactions at the sprawling apartment complex.

There are now four confirmed cases of the waterborne illness at 20 W. Mosholu Pkwy. S. but none at its twin site, 40 W. Mosholu Pkwy. S.

Since the initial announcement more than two weeks ago of a second tenant being infected with Legionnaires’ within a 12-month period, some residents have attended multiple meetings organized by the city Department of Health (DOH) held at the building.  DOH regulations mandate an investigation whenever a second case of Legionnaires’ disease is discovered at the same address.

Some residents are taking the DOH warnings and recommendations seriously, such as substituting baths for showers and not using the hot water supply for cooking.

But not all are cooperating with DOH guidelines.

At the last meeting of the Tracey Towers Tenants Association on Sept. 20, president Jean Hill updated residents with the latest developments in the ongoing investigation.  The first water samples were taken from the 20 building on Sept. 13 to be tested for Legionella bacteria.  Results from the samples can take between two to three weeks.

Although the buildings do not have cooling towers, which are often associated with Legionnaires’ disease, the testing methods are similar. DOH inspectors collect samples from water fixtures all around the building and test them at their Public Health Laboratory. If the samples test positive for the bacteria, building management is ordered to sanitize the water system. The agency often monitors ongoing cleaning efforts and retests the water to determine if the bacteria was eradicated.

Hill also urged residents to follow the DOH recommendations even if they are not yet considered mandatory.  “People have come up to me and said ‘I take showers.  I’m not paying any attention to that [DOH warnings],’” Hill said.

While Hill admits to fighting property management firm RY Management over a variety of issues in the past, she acknowledges a more cooperative spirit at work in this instance.

“Management has worked hard to keep us updated.  They’ve had two meetings with the Department of Health, and they’ve gone around changing the shower heads,” Hill said.

Some of the residents interpreted the installation of new shower heads at the impacted location as a sign that it was now safe to shower.  The replacement of those heads was meant to reduce the spraying effect of water which is known to significantly increase the spread the Legionella bacteria.  Aerators, the attachment at the end of faucets, are also being replaced.

DOH describes these actions as “remediation steps” helping reduce the risk of spreading the waterborne bacteria while the source is still being investigated.

Daniel V. Durante, property manager at RY Management, has kept tenants informed on a near daily basis with emails and printed announcements delivered to tenants’ front doors.

“The remediation steps we are taking are in line with [DOH] guidelines,” Durante told tenants.  “We didn’t come up with these ideas.  They [DOH] told us that this was the most proactive approach we could take at this early stage.”

While Durante’s email announcements are sent out consistently, it is the inefficient delivery of printed materials that has some residents concerned about who is getting the updates.  For example, those tenants attending the meetings hear repeated warnings of not using hot or warm water.  But, in the printed materials they also learn of the dangers of water mist, even when not warm, in spreading the disease.

One tenant who preferred not to give her name complained about the extra measures they need to take.  “It’s scary [to get a notice like this] with so many people in the building.  They’re telling us not to use any hot water, but we have so many elderly, we have a lot of people with children.  This ain’t right,” she said.

To ensure all residents receive timely updates, regardless of whether they have an email account, the tenants association is seeking volunteers to become so-called floor captains who will knock on doors to make sure all the tenants are updated with the latest news on health issues at the apartment complex.

By the end of the tenants’ meeting, 13 people had volunteered to help check in on homebound and elderly residents who are deemed the most vulnerable in getting sick.

One tenant, who preferred not to give their name, saw the volunteering spirit as a positive first step.  “This is good, but we need more.  We have more than 800 apartments [within the two buildings] and we’re going to need a lot more people to cooperate,” they said.

At the first meeting with DOH at Tracey Towers, Ricky Wong, director of Community Affairs with DOH, cautioned tenants about reaching conclusions before the water there is tested.  “There’s a potential that people may have been exposed elsewhere.  People are transient, which means people go everywhere,” Wong said.  “You go to work, you go to your community center, you go downtown to visit your cousin on the Lower East Side.”

Many of the residents attending these meetings have expressed a desire to know the identity and updated condition of those who have been infected.  New York state privacy laws bar the disclosure of patient information, continuing tenants’ guessing game of who’s infected.

With so much uncertainty revolving around which tenants have been infected, the source of the bacteria, and, ultimately, how many tenants will cooperate with the safety measures, Hill maintains that more information is key to keeping residents calm.

“I know many of you are anxious,” Hill told tenants.  “But you must read the flyers that the Department of Health and management keep giving us.  You cannot put your [head] in the sand and pretend like it’s not happening.”

DOH recommends people with health issues such as chronic lung disease, a weakened immune system, or if aged 50 and over, immediately seek medical attention if they develop a fever, chills, muscle aches and cough.

Editor’s Note: If tenants have any further concerns, they can call the DOH Community Affairs Unit at (347) 396-4161.