Panic as Pennsylvania high school student with contagious disease attends class without a doctor’s approval
Panic ensued after a high school student in Pennsylvania with tuberculosis returned to class without his doctor’s permission.
The student had been diagnosed a few weeks ago, but came to class in Washington County on Monday without a doctor’s approval.
Staff “immediately isolated the student and sent him home” after learning what happened, according to a Facebook post from Charleroi School District Superintendent Ed Zelich on January 13.
Staff members “thoroughly cleaned the areas where the student was isolated,” Zelich wrote.
He added: “After reviewing the situation, [The Pennsylvania Department of Health] confirmed that no public health action is required for our district at this time.”
However, outrage grew when parents and community members pointed out a previous statement from the school on December 27, claiming there were “no active tuberculosis cases” in their school district among staff or students.
Zelich concluded in his latest update that the school district is “closely monitoring the situation and will continue to work with appropriate health authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and staff.”
Tuberculosis is a serious and highly contagious disease caused by a germ called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Staff “immediately isolated and sent home” the student after learning what happened, according to a Facebook post from Charleroi Area School District Superintendent Ed Zelich (pictured) on Jan. 13
However, outrage mounted when parents and community members pointed to an earlier statement from the school on December 27, which claimed there were “no active tuberculosis cases” in their school district among staff or students.
The disease spreads through the air and settles in the lungs where it begins to grow, with the ability to travel through the blood to other parts of the body such as the brain, spine and kidneys.
Tuberculosis germs can spread from person to person through the air when an infected person with active tuberculosis coughs, speaks or sings, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The disease can linger in the air for several hours and is likely to spread indoors or in areas with poor air circulation.
Someone infected with the disease may not experience any symptoms and cannot spread the disease; this is known as inactive tuberculosis.
However, without treatment, inactive tuberculosis can develop into active tuberculosis.
Without treatment, active tuberculosis can be fatal.