LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. — Early March, about 230 faculty members and students at Discovery High School were tested for tuberculosis after it had been determined that one student at the facility had been diagnosed with the disease. Now, nearly 3 weeks later, as an added precaution, the health department is asking that remaining staff and students be administered a TST skin test.
This week, parents received a letter stating, "Although no additional active cases of TB have been identified, the health department and state health officials have determined, out of an abundance of caution, that the remainder of our students and staff need to be tested."
The bacteria is airborne and can be spread through a persistent, painful cough. The disease can be deadly, particularly among those with weakened immune systems, but it is generally treated by a 6-9 month course of medications.
The final round of testing will be held in the auditorium of the school on Monday, April 12. Students must bring signed consent form by testing date and those who do not submit results to the health department by the deadline of April 19, will be excluded from school as well as extra-curricular activities.
Students who have a “positive” test result will be required to go to the health department for additional testing. Those individuals will need to be retested in 8 to 10 weeks because it can take this amount of time before the body can produce a response that can be detected by the TST test.
Contact the health department at 678-442-6880.
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