The Water Drop™: Season 2, Episode 9

What is a Case Investigation? Back to the Basics

A case investigation in our world is when an organization has been contacted by the Department of Health of a suspected occupant or resident of their building having tested positive for Legionnaires’ Disease. In our industry, a case investigation is getting to the root cause of what might have led to the infection of that individual. A case investigation is initiated when a resident or a patient tests positive for Legionnaires' Disease. So, they might have gone to the hospital and come down with pneumonia and tested positive specifically for Legionnaires' Disease. It’s a reportable case, and so it goes to the Department of Health and the Department of Health goes back and does an investigation as to where that person has been within the incubation period. So, just like COVID, there is a time that it takes to infect an individual, so they go back and do the detective work to see where that person was exposed. The Department of Health, they are not the boogie man, they are here to protect public health. They are a government organization that’s here to protect public health and understand why people are getting sick. Overall, be confident that the Department of Health isn’t there to put you in jail, they’re not there to interrogate you they are really just trying to understand the root cause, and my biggest advice to our customers is follow their advice, and don’t try to deviate, you know you can use a consultant like IWC to help you, you know, maneuver some of those recommendations that they provide, but take your marching orders from them, do what they say and it will be a very smooth process.

Is your facility prepared in the event of a case investigation?