200 students and staff to be tested for Tuberculosis

Oliver Lam, reporter

An active case of tuberculosis was found at McKinley High School, prompting the testing of about 200 students and staff. On October 13, newsletters informing students and their parents of the finding were distributed.

“I was pretty surprised,” said Jasmine Cho (12). “You always hear about it at other schools, but I never expected it to happen here.”

The first round of testing found no new cases, but tuberculosis can lie dormant, so a second round of testing has been scheduled for December 6.

Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease in which Mycobacterium tuberculosis germs infect the lungs. Anyone can contract this sickness either by staying in close proximity to an infected person in a confined area, or by coming into contact with the disease (which is present in usually in city dust) while their immune system is in a weak state. TB can spread when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Those who have TB may show symptoms of a severe and prolonged cough, cough up blood or mucus, display weakness and fatigue, and experience fever, chills, and night sweats.

All public school students in Hawaii must have a TB test before entering school. If they test negative, it means that no tuberculosis bacteria is present in them. On the other hand, those who test positive for tuberculosis, are carrying the disease and given medicines to kill off the germs, but they are not sick. Only if a person is labeled as having tuberculosis disease does it mean that they are sick and contagious. Thus, it comes as a great surprise that a tuberculosis sick student could even set foot on campus. Is the TB test requirement really protecting us?

According to Principal Ron Okamura, the sick student had tested positive for TB but was still allowed to attend school for an x-ray of their chest showed no signs of bacterial activity. In other words, the student had become sick after the testing. In accordance with state law, the student was prohibited from attending school after becoming sick. All drug treatments of TB along with testing and chest x-rays are paid for by the state. As a result, any student, regardless of financial status, will be able to test for TB and receive treatment if necessary.

Okamura is happy to announce that the student is once again healthy and has been allowed back on campus.

“It’s happened at other schools before, and we want people to know that we are taking the necessary precautions [and procedures] in dealing with this.”

No students during the first round of TB testing have tested positive for the disease. A second period of testing will take place in early December. Tuberculosis is a very difficult disease to contract for it cannot survive in the open air for sustained periods of time.

“I feel really confident that we won’t find any other cases,” assured Okamura, who reminds us to remain calm. “Many of the places we have on campus are very well-ventilated,” and the disease is something controllable and very curable [with medicine] as long as we catch it early.”

Okamura claims that people in Hawaii are more likely to contract diseases such as tuberculosis because it is a tourist state. Thus, foreigners traveling to the islands may be carrying viruses with them.

Getting a case of TB on campus (or other diseases) “isn’t a matter of if, but when,” said Okamura, “Any disease could come through [Hawaii] and people need to be aware of that.”

It is therefore important for our McKinley students to eat healthy meals regularly and to stay in shape. A strong and healthy person is less likely to contract this disease than a weak, unhealthy, and tired person. Anyone could be infected with any disease at any time, so be courteous by covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.