Notification of infectious disease
Dear St. John’s community,
From: Bob Johnson
I need to let everyone know that I tested positive for Pertussis (Whooping Cough) last Thursday, 6/14. I have been dealing with a very bad cough for a long time, but it turned really bad a few weeks ago.
As you may know,
PERTUSSIS (Whooping Cough, also know as “The 100 Day Cough”)
is
VERY CONTAGIOUS !!!
I was in church on 5/20, 6/3, and 6/17, and at choir practice on 5/17 and 5/31.
If you were near me on those dates, I may have passed the Pertussis bacteria on to you. I was still contagious during most of that time.
I’m very sorry!!! ….But I didn’t know it at those times.
If you have, or work with, a child under one year old, or
if you are pregnant,
you should contact your doctor and let them know you may have been exposed to Pertussis.
Ask for an evaluation, and possibly a lab test.
Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, to start immediately.
Everyone else:
> Even if you are up to date on your booster shots, you can still get Pertussis… just maybe not as bad.
> Contact your doctor for evaluation
- if you are concerned, or
- especially, if you have developed a cough during this time period.
> Talk with your doctor about getting up to date on your booster shots if necessary.
Again, I’m sorry for any inconvenience. The cough from Pertussis is really nasty !!! I HOPE YOU DO NOT GET IT !!!
Good resources for more information about Pertussis:
http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/
http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/vaccine/pertussis.shtml
http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/documents/pertussis.pdf
In His service,
Bob Johnson