Chicago's mold count today is 125,000 plus - more than double the 50,000 threshold that signals a dangerous air quality warning. "Today's mold count is the highest I have recorded in more than 15 years," said Dr. Joseph Leija, who performs the Gottlieb Allergy Count, the official allergy count for the Midwest. "Midwesterners with sensitive respiratory systems will experience itchy throats, runny noses and feel generally rundown."
The official Gottlieb Allergy Count for today is: Mold Very High and Weeds Low. "The continuous heat, the high humidity and the weekend rain are the perfect ingredients for mold. I knew the mold count would be high but I was stunned by this morning's historically high count," Dr. Leija says. "The Midwest has been crippled by devastating heat and oppressive humidity for months now. I actually started the Gottlieb Allergy Count a month early this season, in March instead of April, because of the mild winter and warm spring." Headaches, sinus congestion, runny noses and fatigue will be common among Chicagoans today.
Dr. Joseph Leija, allergist at Loyola's Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, is solely certified by the National Allergy Bureau to perform the daily official allergy count for the Midwest. "The continuous, hot temperatures and the persistent humidity here in the Midwest have created the dangerously high mold count," he said of his unusually high morning count. "Allergy sufferers should stay indoors, keep the windows closed, use their air conditioners, and take their allergy medications."
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