No offense intended, but you got snowed! What you described has no medical basis whatsoever.
We had a ten year-old die in my county's school district. He ate a peanut-butter cookie he was given by another student and his throat swelled shut. The kid knew he was allergic to peanuts, but ate the cookie anyway. He had no epi-pen, and the EMS didn't manage to get there in time. Very sad situation. In response, the district brought in a specialist (M.D. with specialization in allergic reactions) and added epi-pens to all of the clinics.
The reason I tell you this is I heard this doctor (who knew what she was talking about) assert conclusively that there are NO food allergies that are dangerous based on proximity or non-contact exposure. PERIOD. Even the most allergic kid must EAT the food (though they can develop a skin rash from handling the food) in order to be at risk. She stated this as a medical fact (and the discussion was centered around peanut allergies, as this is what the kid had died from).
So your co-worker was a drama-queen, because the simple presence of peanuts (especially airborne) could not have possibly done anything to him, unless he ate some of it. He was just trolling for attention...
He had a number of other health problems - alopecia (100% hair loss) among them. They might have been contributing factors, I dunno.
Pleasant fellow, but he had a long row to hoe. I'd not want to handle some of his issues.