COVID-19 is sweeping the globe and affecting all of our lives, and 9/11 survivors and first responders are no different. Unfortunately, there is a significant coronavirus risk for 9/11 responders because of the conditions present at Ground Zero after the attack and during cleanup.

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that is generally not life-threatening; however, at-risk groups like those with lung conditions and those above a certain age are at a much higher risk of developing serious life-threatening complications due to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Coronavirus and Lung Disease

The CDC lists many different groups as those at the highest risk of dying from complications of the novel coronavirus. People above the age of 65, especially those living in nursing homes, are at an especially high risk. Those with severe obesity, diabetes, or liver disease are also more likely to die from the virus. Those with chronic conditions such as kidney disease or conditions that leave the sufferer immunocompromised are at serious risk.

One of the most frequently cited at-risk groups is those with lung disease or moderate asthma. John Hopkins reports that COVID-19 itself can cause serious and long-lasting lung damage. It can cause pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis, and something called a superinfection. For those that already have lung disease and lung damage, the risk is even greater. This means the coronavirus risk for 9/11 responders is particularly high.

Common Injuries of 9/11 First Responders

According to reports from the CDC published within a year of the attack, inhalation injuries were the most commonly treated injury among survivors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Studies done on survivors of terrorist attacks have found that the likelihood of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression is especially high. 

However, the more deadly danger came from the chemicals, dust, and gasses in the air after the attacks.

“I do remember thinking that this is probably going to kill me,” Rob Serra, a New York City firefighter present at Ground Zero, told NBC News. “You figure two buildings full of glass, asbestos, steel. You could taste it. I hope I have a lot of years left, but common sense and reason tells me I don’t.”

According to NBC News, 343 firefighters died in the collapse and fires on 9/11 with another 150 dying from complications since then. Asbestos-related cancers, most notably lung cancer, can take years to develop and have been common among survivors. These conditions make the coronavirus risk for 9/11 responders even higher. 

Coronavirus Risk for 9/11 Responders

9/11 first responders are already dying from COVID-19. The City, a New York City publication, reports that Al Petrocelli Sr., a 73-year-old retired battalion chief, died as a result of COVID-19 on April 1, two decades after rushing to Ground Zero to search for the body of his son Mark, a 28-year-old commodities trader who died on 9/11. Petrocelli’s elder son, Fire Department Battalion Chief Al Petrocelli Jr., talked to The City about his experience looking for his brother’s body in the rubble with his father.

“We drove there together that day and he stayed on that pile almost until the end,” he told The City. “We knew the air wasn’t good, but you did what you had to do. Dad didn’t think of anything other than finding Mark.”

The coronavirus risk for 9/11 responders is a serious concern for advocates. Survivors and responders are being told that they “should be extremely careful” if they have any respiratory issues. According to his son, Petrocelli Sr. died of coronavirus without ever developing anything more than a “little cough, you know, the World Trade Center cough”.  “World Trade Center cough” is a reference to various pulmonary illnesses that firefighters and other survivors suffer from and which may qualify them for support from the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.

However, some 9/11 responders who say they are suffering have yet to be tested for the virus. George Farinacci, vice president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, told The City that they and their unions have been swamped with calls from members who haven’t been able to access tests.

“The lack of testing is a crisis in and of itself, but until we do that testing, there’s no way to quantify the extent of the problem,” Farinacci told The City. “We just hear when someone calls and lets us know, but nothing official.”