9/11 victim dies from dust exposures

by Christina Lovato, University of New Mexico-Talk Radio News Service


At a joint subcommittee hearing under the House Judiciary Committee, witnesses testified and spoke in support of H.R. 847, the “James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2009.” James Melius, an MD and Administrator of the New York State Laborers' Health and Safety Trust Fund talks about how a victim helped evacuate co-workers from Ground Zero to their homes on 9/11 and later died from sarcoidosis which was caused by the World Trade Center dust exposures. (01:19)
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Comments

[David Rojo]

This was written without any basic research of what sarcoidosis is. Medical science does not know what causes sarcoidosis, whether it's hereditary or environmental. There is also no cure and the most frequently used treatment is steroids to suppress the immune system and inflammation since it is believed to be an auto-immune disease. Only 3-5 percent of patients die from sarcoidosis. I agree with the fact that the dust from 9/11 may have been the reason he got sarcoidosis since there are many cases. In fact a spike at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NY who treated many firefighters. However there is no proof or for that matter I wonder if there is a study being conducted at all.

The statement, "died from sarcoidosis which was caused by the World Trade Center dust exposures." Is not a fact but more like an opinion because it can't be proven.

Again I agree that may have been the case but I would't want to ill inform people about this disease.

Oh, how I wish we had more facts.