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Coworker with TB

 
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smurfystew



Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Seoul, ROK

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 4:47 pm    Post subject: Coworker with TB Reply with quote

It has recently come to my attention that a co-worker at my public elementary school has tuberculosis. Should I be concerned about this. I eat lunch with this teacher everyday. I didn't understand what his problem was until someone finally had an electronic dictionary and were able to translate the term for the disease. I am guessing he is not contagious otherwise the other teachers wouldn't be comfortable sitting by him. What would you do in this situation? Any advice?
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Imrahil



Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Location: On the other side of the world.

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 4:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My wife had TB when we started dating, she was on medication, and she never gave it to me. As long as your coworker is taking the medication perscribed by a doctor you should be fine. The medication should be taken daily by the way.
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smurfystew



Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Seoul, ROK

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 10:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

*bump* anyone else have any opinion on this?
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wanamin



Joined: 14 Apr 2008

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have an opinion.
We post messages on Dave's ESL via this amazing thing called "the internet" or "the World Wide Web". It contains an overwhelming amount of information about a wide array of topics, including infectious diseases.
Dave's ESL is visited mostly by English Teachers.

Do some internet research on TB, and decide for yourself.
Post a message on a message board frequented by doctors if you need to.
It's beyond me why you would post this here, and take medical advice from English teachers.
If you want jewelry, would you go to a baker?
If your house was burning down, would you call a plumber?


Last edited by wanamin on Fri May 30, 2008 2:09 am; edited 1 time in total
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fortysixyou



Joined: 08 Jun 2006

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

wanamin wrote:
I have an opinion.
We post messages on Dave's ESL via this amazing thing called "the internet" or "the World Wide Web". It contains an overwhelming information about a wide array of topics, including infectious diseases.
Dave's ESL is visited mostly by English Teachers.

Do some internet research on TB, and decide for yourself.
Post a message on a message board frequented by doctors if you need to.
It's beyond me why you would post this here, and take medical advice from English teachers.
If you want jewelry, would you go to a baker?
If your house was burning down, would you call a plumber?





Nice.


Somebody's grumpy today.
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Kuros



Joined: 27 Apr 2004

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

fortysixyou wrote:
wanamin wrote:
I have an opinion.
We post messages on Dave's ESL via this amazing thing called "the internet" or "the World Wide Web". It contains an overwhelming information about a wide array of topics, including infectious diseases.
Dave's ESL is visited mostly by English Teachers.

Do some internet research on TB, and decide for yourself.
Post a message on a message board frequented by doctors if you need to.
It's beyond me why you would post this here, and take medical advice from English teachers.
If you want jewelry, would you go to a baker?
If your house was burning down, would you call a plumber?





Nice.


Somebody's grumpy today.


Although sarcastic, I have to agree.

Start your research here. Let us know what you find out.
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crusher_of_heads



Joined: 23 Feb 2007
Location: kimbop and kimchi for kimberly!!!!

PostPosted: Thu May 29, 2008 11:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stop eating Korean food.
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NightSky



Joined: 19 Apr 2005

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:33 am    Post subject: Re: Coworker with TB Reply with quote

smurfystew wrote:
It has recently come to my attention that a co-worker at my public elementary school has tuberculosis. Should I be concerned about this.


I would be, yeah. the koreans don't seem to think TB is as big of a deal as it is, so that may be why they don't make a fuss about sitting next to him. personally I would NOT have lunch near anyone with TB.
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KumaraKitty



Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 1:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Koreans don't think it is a big deal because they are all vaccinated at birth. Our son had his first vaccination, BCG vaccine which is for TB and leaves those spots on the arm that you may see on your students. Since we don't vaccinate in N.America I would be concerned. But like previous posters said, do some research for your peace of mind! Take Care!
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moosehead



Joined: 05 May 2007

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 3:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KumaraKitty wrote:
Koreans don't think it is a big deal because they are all vaccinated at birth. Our son had his first vaccination, BCG vaccine which is for TB and leaves those spots on the arm that you may see on your students. Since we don't vaccinate in N.America I would be concerned. But like previous posters said, do some research for your peace of mind! Take Care!


yeah, you might want to do some research yourself - reading about this BCG is scarier than the OP

http://www.cdc.gov/tb/pubs/tbfactsheets/BCG.htm



Quote:
Introduction

BCG, or bacille Calmette-Gu�rin, is a vaccine for tuberculosis (TB) disease. BCG is used in many countries with a high prevalence of TB to prevent childhood tuberculous meningitis and miliary disease. However, BCG is not generally recommended for use in the United States because of the low risk of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the variable effectiveness of the vaccine against adult pulmonary TB, and the vaccine�s potential interference with tuberculin skin test reactivity. The BCG vaccine should be considered only for very select persons who meet specific criteria and in consultation with a TB expert.
Recommendations

Children.

BCG vaccination should only be considered for children who have a negative tuberculin skin test and who are continually exposed, and cannot be separated from, adults who

* Are untreated or ineffectively treated for TB disease (if the child cannot be given long-term treatment for infection); or
* Have TB caused by strains resistant to isoniazid and rifampin.



there's more to the article - I did NOT post all of it.


personally, I've worried about TB almost since I arrived here what with all the coughing and hacking going on - but wtf are you gonna do? it's pretty much everywhere; you just have to take precautions and do the best you can.
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Mr. Pink



Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 4:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

KumaraKitty wrote:
Koreans don't think it is a big deal because they are all vaccinated at birth. Our son had his first vaccination, BCG vaccine which is for TB and leaves those spots on the arm that you may see on your students. Since we don't vaccinate in N.America I would be concerned. But like previous posters said, do some research for your peace of mind! Take Care!


Um in Canada we vaccinate. I had mine when I was a child. Also, in Korea not all vaccinations are BCG. My daughters wasn't. She doesn't have the spots on her arm.
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KumaraKitty



Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Location: Bucheon

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 7:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
BCG is used in many countries with a high prevalence of TB to prevent childhood tuberculous meningitis and miliary disease. However, BCG is not generally recommended for use in the United States


I appreciate your concern, and since we'll be living in Korea for the foreseeable future, we chose to have the vaccination.

Mr. Pink, depending on your age, you may have received the vaccination. I'm 28 and I did not, however my mother who is 48 did.
I'm surprised your daughter didn't have it. Did you chose not to have it? I've yet to encounter any Korean without it. My husband had it as a child on his shoulder and I have seen someone who had it on their thigh.
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MissSeoul



Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: Somewhere in America

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 8:25 am    Post subject: Re: Coworker with TB Reply with quote

smurfystew wrote:
It has recently come to my attention that a co-worker at my public elementary school has tuberculosis. Should I be concerned about this. I eat lunch with this teacher everyday. I didn't understand what his problem was until someone finally had an electronic dictionary and were able to translate the term for the disease. I am guessing he is not contagious otherwise the other teachers wouldn't be comfortable sitting by him. What would you do in this situation? Any advice?



If he is carring active TB, that can be a problem, but if he has been treated for that, it's no problem. Person who carrying active TB can take medication for a while ( don't have to take medication all his life ), then he can live normal life.

I am sure he has been treated because if not, he is not allowed to teach STUDENTS, also he openly lets people know around him about his illness means he has been treated. I don't think you need to worry.

I know one korean lady who find out she was carring active TB when she took physical test for fiancee Visa, her fiance who was an American was responsible to take care her disease. At the time he was in America and she was in Korea and try to get Visa to join him in America.
He made extra paper that say " yes I will take care her disease ", anyway as soon as she was taking medication, she could fly to America.
You probably know the Visa rule, if someone carry active TB, they can't come to America. Her story is more than 30 years old, she has been more than 30 years in America now with 2 grown kids, yes her husband is still with her.

When korean find out they carry TB, usually they are in BIG SHOCK.
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nomad-ish



Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Location: On the bottom of the food chain

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 8:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

if i can remember correctly, isn't there a form of drug-resistant TB? i think it's treatable too, but with heavy duty stuff.

either way, i doubt i would be eating lunch with this person[/i]
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Tarkaan



Joined: 09 Mar 2008

PostPosted: Fri May 30, 2008 9:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wait, there's a TB vaccine? Can I get this at Yangsang Uni Hospital? I get paid soon and I want some shots and stuff. Can I get Smallpox there too? (I'm 29, just past the cutoff)
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