OXON HILL, Md. — Just a few days after learning someone at Potomac High
School in Oxon Hill was diagnosed with tuberculosis, the school is being called
safe.
For privacy reasons, school leaders say they can’t identify whether the diagnosed
person was a student, a teacher or someone else. But Dr. Angela Wakhweya,
chief of Health Policy, Services and Innovation for Prince George’s County Public
Schools, did have good news Thursday afternoon.
“This is an individual who is currently not infectious,” she said, adding that
the person has been getting treatment.
Prince George’s County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Ernest Carter said they’ve been
giving skin tests to people who came in direct contact with the
person diagnosed with TB.
“We have had to date no positive skin tests,” he said. Adding, “There has been
no new case, and we feel very confident that this school is safe.”
School leaders say they have received calls from concerned parents and they
understand those worries.
Wakhweya was asked if those concerns were prompting many students to skip
school.
“We do not have an exact figure of the absenteeism rate today, but we do know
that there were students today at Potomac High School learning, and we
want to encourage that,” Wakhweya said. “If any child is absent and is
unexcused, the attendance policy and procedure of the Prince George’s County
Public School system will be followed.”
Tuberculosis is not common in the U.S. The Centers for Disease
Control says TB is spread through the air from one
person to another, but it is not spread by shaking hands, touching
toilet seats, or kissing.
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