January 21, 2021
Written by: Jack Mat
IAQ Environmental
24200 Southwest Frwy Suite 402, #160
Rosenberg, TX 77471
(713) 931-8378
Can black mold cause covid?
Black Mold
The answer is no. Black mold, or Stachybotrys chartarum like other types of mold, is a fungus. In fact, black mold, in order to grow, requires food and water. Unfortunately, the food is the common organic building materials in your home, such as
- drywall
- wallpaper
- carpet,
- carpet padding
- wood
For instance, you rarely see Stachybotrys grow outdoors because outdoor mold tends to decay dead things such as leaves, wet soil, dead trees, or even dead animals. Stachybotrys is mainly an indoor mold caused by flooding.
Mold needs water or moisture to grow and is everywhere outdoors and indoors. It travels by way of mold spores or seeds.
The naked eye cannot see mold in its spore state because it’s microscopic. The Spores attach themselves to wet, moist, and damp objects and feast on them. In addition, the longer the materials stay wet, the more colonies grow bigger.
So if a home is taking on moisture by these common issues:
- Leaking Roof
- Plumbing Leak
- Flood Event
- Contaminated Air Condition
- Condensation
- High Humidity
- Leaking Air Condition Pan
Thus, if wet materials stay wet for longer than 48 hours, visual mold growth will begin.
Black mold gives off-gases of mycotoxins or mVOCs. It has a distinct odor of urine-like smell.
The mVOCs from black mold causes some people to trigger asthma, allergies, headaches, sore throats, respiratory issues, and severe issues for individuals with compromised immune systems.
Black Mold usually grows in a flooding situation. Some mold gives off endotoxins, which are bacteria that make people sick as well.
There are over 250,000 known mold species in the mold kingdom, and some that are still not identified.
COVID-19 Virus
COVID-19 or Coronavirus is a virus. A virus is a microscopic parasite. Just like mold, it is tiny, can only be seen through a microscope. The virus material is a lipid (fat) molecule, which gives more reason for washing hands thoroughly. Viruses need a live body as a host to thrive and reproduce.
According to the CDC, COVID-19 transfers from person to person (a live body). Viruses and mold spores share only one thing.
They are both parts of the microbe family. A virus needs a living host to reproduce, and mold does not. Once the host dies, so does the virus. Mold, on the other hand dead, still causes reactions in some people.
According to the CDC, COVID-19 transfers from person to person. The distribution starts from droplets or aerosol (tiny microns from a sneeze, cough, or even talking).
A virus hijacks a living body and reproduces billions of viruses. All it takes is just one to wreak havoc, especially with immune-compromised people.
A virus is a ribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid present in all living cells. Its principal role is to act as a messenger carrying instructions from DNA for controlling the synthesis of proteins.
However, in some viruses, RNA rather than DNA has the genetic information. A virus is so tiny it the tip of a pin could contain billions. Compared to mold, spores are quite large, up to 20 microns.
Summary: Mold travels in spores or seeds and needs dead wet organic material to thrive, and reproduce and a virus needs a live body to thrive and multiply.
IAQ Environmental
My name is Jack Mat. I am the indoor air quality inspector for IAQ Environmental. Over 20 years of experience with mold inspection and remediation.
I never stop learning being in this field, and I enjoy what I do.
We can now measure and test buildings for airborne RNA from Coronavirus and other RNA viruses with complete laboratory analysis.
We have the new technology ready for testing. Our local service areas are Houston and the surrounding suburbs. We do free phone consultations; call us at (713) 931-8378.
