Thread by @DrEricDing

⚠️BREAKING—CDC team falls ill while investigating the health impacts of Ohio train derailment—➡️**7** US government investigators briefly fell ill in March while studying the possible health impacts of a toxic #OhioChemicalDisaster train derailment, @CDCgov confirms to CNN. 🧵

2) The investigators’ symptoms included sore throats, headaches, coughing and nausea – consistent with what some residents experienced after the February 3 train derailment that released a cocktail of hazardous chemicals into the air, water and soil. cnn.com/2023/03/31/hea…

3) The investigators who experienced symptoms were part of a team conducting a house-to-house survey in an area near the derailment, and they immediately reported their symptoms to federal safety officers.

4) The illnesses are coming to light after repeated assurances by government officials and representatives from Norfolk Southern, the company that operated the train, that the air and drinking water in East Palestine is not hazardous to health.

5) “It is not clear what caused the investigators’ symptoms – whether chemical exposure or something else, such as fatigue. But the team, some of whom are officers and physicians in the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, found it suspicious that they became ill at the same time… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

6) The official asked to not be identified because they are not authorized to share details of the incident; a CDC spokesperson confirmed information in the official’s account, including the date, the number of people involved and the symptoms they experienced.

7) “Because the investigators’ symptoms improved soon after they left the area, the incident was not reported to the public, the official said, noting that reports of illnesses experienced by CDC personnel on the job wouldn’t ordinarily be disclosed.”

Still, experts in chemical… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

8) “It adds confirmation that the symptoms reported by East Palestine residents are real and are associated with environmental exposures from the derailment and chemical fire,” said David Michaels, an epidemiologist and professor at the George Washington University School of… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

9) What is crazy to me is that the CDC team fell sick while visiting in EARLY MARCH… but the derailment was actually on Feb 3rd… that means they **fell sick a whole month after** the derailment! I’m going to discuss this more soon—subscribe free: drericding.substack.com/subscribe

10) Earlier, another group that analyzed EPA data found 9 air pollutants elevated in the #EastPalestineOH derailment area. This derailment was damn serious. This CDC 7-member team’s illness was not a coincidence.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1629221531740958720

11) I feel so angry and frustrated for the people of eastern Ohio and Western PA. Norfolk Southern needs to clean this shit up, and Governor Dewine of Ohio shouldn’t downplay it.

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1625155991724605440

12) In case folks forgot… there were countless stories of kids projectile vomiting and being sick in the aftermath of the derailment. Some folks tried to dismiss their stories… but after CDC confirms their team sickened… what the hell do they have to say now?!?!

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1625607479517126679

13) I also tried to warn people to get special air filters with ACTIVATED CARBON… but apparently I was told that @EPA said they weren’t needed and that the air was totally fine. I was furious. I told a member of Congress this is not okay. But EPA dismissed the need for them!

https://twitter.com/drericding/status/1625561726904156160

14) often the risks only become apparent many months or years after a pollution incident occurs. The fact that the CDC investigative team fell sick after just 1 month is actually incredible - and shows this derailment incident is likely much worse than we thought.

https://twitter.com/DrEricDing/status/1624739260589830152