In the wake of the rains and floods that have repeatedly inundated the Southeast, mold is growing harder to avoid and harder to eliminate. Climate change and the impacts it brings — heavier precipitation, frequent flooding, and increased heat and humidity — are creating the perfect petri dish for mold to thrive, exposing more people to its health impacts. Despite its prevalence, mold receives shockingly little study. It is expensive to fix, largely untracked as a public health issue, and subjected to building codes and housing safety regulations that lag behind a problem that is no longer confined to the aftermath of disasters. As mold’s ideal conditions grow more prevalent, it remains a big gray area in public knowledge, and both state and federal policy.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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