Long story short (believe it or not!)

Back in June, I spent a couple of days in the hospital for tests (to rule out having had a heart attack). Tests came back "Negative".
(Diagnosis: Pulled muscle in my chest.)

Fast forward to 11:00 a.m. today.

I get a call from my county's Health Department.

It seems that the person in the hospital room next to me, had/has Tuberculosis ("T.B.")


Can somebody tell me WHY it takes so long (June 15th until November 4th) to contact someone (ME!!!!!) regarding this?????

I have to go in for 'tests' on Friday afternoon. (I'm sure I don't have Tuberculosis. No symptoms. Well, I don't think I'm experiencing any symptoms.)

I just can't figure out WHY it takes so long to notify someone that they've been exposed.



Sheesh......................

 

Isn't that one of the shots we got when we were kids ?..

 

the illegals are re-introducing the diseases we worked to erradicate

 

It shouldn't take that long. You are correct.

And remember....Even if you show 'positive' on a test....That only means that you had an exposure---not that you have TB.

Had an AIDS victim sitting by a road by a bus stop awhile back. Sad situation.......terminal and half out of his mind. Took off his pants and had feces smeared all over him, and of course someone called us (and Fire and Medic). Medic knew the guy and had a good rapport......He dutifully put on the face mask they offered him......The guy had told the fire guys that he had AIDS and tuberculosis.....and of course everyone had their gloves on anyway.

Come to find out, the call had come in from one of the new-car dealerships near the bus stop. The guy had come in there and sat at one of the customers waiting areas in the lobby and was hacking and coughing all over the place. The salesmen had come up to the guy seeing if he needed help, bringing him water, etc., and etc.. I went to the dealership after Fire and Medic left and told them that the guy had TB....and added that even if the chance of transmission was small (I didn't mention the AIDS....no reason to), I advised them to consult with their doctors about a TB test, and to monitor.

If anyone wants to make an ethics or right-to-privacy argument about that, kiss my a$$ and bring it on. The salesmen who were trying to help the guy deserved to know, quickly, what they had in their building.

 

I remember getting the scratch test numerous times when I was in school.....But not any kind of anti-TB 'shot'......

Is there such a thing? I know they have shots (I had to take them when I became an officer) to prevent hepatitis....but TB?

 

Good luck with the tests, Keith......Be pulling for ya'

I see the bureaucracy machine is working well and preventing vital knowledge from getting where its needed the most.

 

I thought that was the one that left the round scar on my shoulder ...

 

They may not have known at the time that he had TB. IIRC it can take a year or so from exposure to being symptomatic. Now they may know he had it and are probably trying to contact everyone who was exposed to the guy. Just a guess...

The PPD test is painless - just make sure to get it read within the window they tell you. And like was stated already, if you have a reaction to the test, all it means is you were exposed. They put you on a pill for a year if you are positive as exposed I believe. My training on this was in the 90's so take what I write with a grain of salt....

 

Common sense prevails in the real world! Score one for the good guys!

I always thought that was the smallpox vaccine. My sister has that round scar on her shoulder too.

 

Awwwww! Andy called me a 'good guy'......

As do I. You're right, smallpox.

That's one. Also pertussis (whooping cough) and measles......Not sure if scarlet fever is still one.

Someone mentioned 'immigrants' re-introducing diseases once eradicated in the U.S. They are correct. Smallpox and leprosy are making a comeback thanks to the uncontrolled migration from south of the border.

And Obama just lifted the ban on entry into the country from persons with HIV and AIDS.

You know, there was a time when politicians actually looked out for the interests of citizens in the U.S. and tried to....oh.....I don't know.....KEEP S--T LIKE THAT OUT OF THE COUNTRY!!!

How naive I must be....

 

Damn, it's too late go back and edit my post.

Hmm... let's tread carefully here, but we are going to start shooting some of the *******s before they begin looking out for our interests again.

 

UPDATE:

Well, the 'Tuberculin' test is over.
The nurse injected a tiny bit of tuberculin under the skin of my left forearm.

She said, "IF this becomes a hard lump, your body has seen the TB germ, before. IF this does not become a hard lump, you are 'clean'. Report back here, on Monday afternoon, and we'll see the results."


Ultimate bottom line. . . . . .
No 'lump'. No TB 'germ'.



I'm 'cleaner' than a Perdue Chicken!!!!! Ha!

 

Way to go, Keith!......................Bet thats a load off your mind!

 

Oh yeah, Brother!!!!

The nurse said that I'd have to take 3 pills a day, for 9 months, IF I had the 'germ'.


She also said that IF I had TB Disease, I'd have to take 13 pills, 3-times a day, for a year!!!


I fully admit. . . I was sweating BASKETBALLS about this one.

 

Had an AIDS victim sitting by a road by a bus stop awhile back. Sad situation.......terminal and half out of his mind. Took off his pants and had feces smeared all over him, and of course someone called us (and Fire and Medic). Medic knew the guy and had a good rapport......He dutifully put on the face mask they offered him......The guy had told the fire guys that he had AIDS and tuberculosis.....and of course everyone had their gloves on anyway.

Come to find out, the call had come in from one of the new-car dealerships near the bus stop. The guy had come in there and sat at one of the customers waiting areas in the lobby and was hacking and coughing all over the place. The salesmen had come up to the guy seeing if he needed help, bringing him water, etc., and etc.. I went to the dealership after Fire and Medic left and told them that the guy had TB....and added that even if the chance of transmission was small (I didn't mention the AIDS....no reason to), I advised them to consult with their doctors about a TB test, and to monitor.

If anyone wants to make an ethics or right-to-privacy argument about that, kiss my a$$ and bring it on. The salesmen who were trying to help the guy deserved to know, quickly, what they had in their building.

Kudos for doing the right thing. reps to ya. Don't know how to do the quote thing so, I copied and pasted.