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by LINDSAY CRAVEN
Online Reporter
Mary S. Shook Student Health Services has received two reports of suspected pertussis cases, or whooping cough.
One of the cases has been tested and the results are negative, while one case has yet to be confirmed.
“We’ve established no overlap between the two reported cases as far as we know,” Patricia A. Geiger, director of Health Services, said.
A campus-wide e-mail was sent out Friday, informing students, faculty and staff a student living on campus had contacted Health
Services with symptoms similar to those of whooping cough.
Results
of the student’s test came in after the e-mail was sent Friday and were
confirmed as negative, Health Services staff nurse Kim Rushing said.
Rushing said Health Services took action after the first case was reported.
“We had
a meeting with Susie Greene of Student Development and we met with
Watauga County Health Department as well,” she said. “We contacted the
[Center for Disease Control] and we contacted the State Department and
got them in on it too.”
Geiger also made a personal visit to classes the student is enrolled in.
Classmates
who might have had direct contact with the student were provided with
information of what they needed to do to prevent them from contracting
the symptoms.
Direct
contact with whooping cough is considered someone being within 3 feet
for 15 minutes or greater of someone infected, and is spread by
respiratory droplets passed by sneezing, coughing or talking, according
to the CDC.
“We have
contacted every person that we are confident meets the ‘longer than 15
minutes within 3 feet’ rule,” Rushing said. “You can walk by a person
who has it but you’re not going to get [it] and you’re not going to get
it from being in contact with someone else who was in direct contact.
It has to be totally first hand or direct contact.”
Those
who were considered to be at risk were advised to make an appointment
with Health Services and be tested for whooping cough and receive an
antibiotic.
“It’s
fantastic because you can actually kill the pertussis for this time
[after direct contact] in the person,” Rushing said. “Pertussis is one,
and it sounds odd, of the better diseases to have. It’s usually not a
killer in college age and older.”
Rushing said whooping cough is making a comeback because of the lack of vaccination in older people.
She suggests those who have not been exposed get the vaccination recommended by the CDC, “Tdap” to prevent them from exposure.
“The
‘Tdap’ vaccine is free to students in Health Services but we only have
20 vaccinations right now,” Geiger said. “The state is sending us 100
more vaccinations. Our first priority is students who were in direct
contact with reported cases. Everyone can go to the health department
for these vaccines.”
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