Black Lung makes epidemic return in coal miners

[BoBurnz]

Doctors floored by epidemic levels of black lung in Appalachian coal miners

An epidemic of severe and rapidly progressive black lung disease is emerging among coal miners in Appalachia. Case counts from just three clinics in the region reveal the highest disease levels that doctors have ever reported, according to a study published in JAMA this week.

Between January 2013 and February 2017, researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health documented 416 coal miners with the condition. Prior to the discovery, researchers largely thought that black lung cases were a thing of the past. Diagnoses have been rare since the late 1990s

The clinics, run by Stone Mountain Health Services, would typically see five to seven cases each year, Ron Carson, who directs Stone Mountain's black lung program told NPR. Now, the clinics see that many in two weeks, he said. And in the past year, they’ve diagnosed 154 cases.

“That’s an indication that it’s not slowing down,” Carson said. "We are seeing something that we haven’t seen before.”

The disease was almost eliminated entirely with sporadic minor cases appearing every now and then in the US.

This is the largest such epidemic of it on record.

Trumps dream America everybody, where the poor literally work themselves to death. I get that these are likely Trump stans to begin with so it's hard to have sympathy, but I have empathy to the fact that this is just a harbinger of what's to come if we can't make HARD gains this year, the poor and downtrodden will be ridden into becoming a literal underclass in the newly created caste system of the modern world. This is something we should all take note of and fear.

 

[StatUS]

But is the coal not clean though?

 

[King Sun]

But is the coal not clean though?

 

[ExodusNirvana]

 

[Serious]

I aint even mad, the free market and natural selection will work things out for the better.



Dat invisible hand
@DEAD7

 

[Poetical Poltergeist]

Trump likes miners who don't get black lung.

 

[hashmander]

well at least they have access to opioids to ease the pain.

 

[.r.]

well at least they have access to opioids to ease the pain.

do they need more?

 

[BigMoneyGrip]

Beautiful clean coal :Cacfukkery:

 

[McTwerk]

These people literally voted for their sons, husbands, brothers, etc to get black lung, so fukk em. Reap what you sow.
If only it was contagious and they could pass it back on to their family members to burn out these fukked up generations of backward thinkers.

 

[GnauzBookOfRhymes]

karma for black face

 

[Ghost Utmost]

Hey. Let's ease all regulations.

Oops. People now have a deadly disease cause we didn't follow the regualtions.

Hey. Let's use an ancient and filthy energy source instead of more healthy ones.

Oops. Filth is bad for ya.

 

[88m3]

As amusing as black lung sounds it's a lot like TB and a horrifying disease...

Schadenfreude aside it's ridiculous that the government and these people can't comprehend the same jobs with potentially better pay can be found in renewables and other sectors.

 

[CreepyMcCreeperson]

They were told to get new skills, and didn't listen.

 

[DEAD7]

I aint even mad, the free market and natural selection will work things out for the better.



Dat invisible hand
@DEAD7