Taking On Pertussis Scores Of Centennial Students Among Those Taking Antibiotics
The most popular person at Centennial Middle School at lunch time is probably the school nurse.
She’s handing out antibiotics to scores of students at the Spokane Valley school to protect them against a whooping cough outbreak.
With six confirmed cases, all in the eighth grade, Centennial has been the hardest-hit Spokane County school.
Antibiotics are often prescribed to those who’ve had close contact to whooping cough cases.
“It does kind of look like a M.A.S.H. unit at noon when they all show up for their antibiotics,” said Kitty Johnson-Woods, one of two school nurses in the East Valley School District.
Pertussis, commonly called whooping cough, struck first in Kootenai County more than three weeks ago. Since then, the disease has spread, with 182 confirmed cases in the Idaho Panhandle and at least 76 in Spokane County.
The number of new cases leveled off over the weekend. But the incubation period of the disease is six to 20 days, meaning many more cases could pop up in the next few weeks.
Health and school officials are trying to prevent that from happening. School officials are sending home letters to parents of children attending the same schools as infected children. Officials are sending second letters to parents of children who have been directly exposed to infected children.
In several districts, nurses and school officials are also calling parents.
So far, 36 of the Spokane County cases have been in schools, breeding grounds for spreading the disease. Students who’ve tested positive for whooping cough are required to stay home at least five days.
Eleven of the cases have been in Spokane School District 81: four at Holmes Elementary; two at Salk Middle School; and one each at North Central High School, Audubon Elementary, Browne Elementary, Regal Elementary and Bancroft Center.
“We’re anticipating there’s going to be more, because that’s the nature of the beast,” said Laurie Dolan, a District 81 administrator.
Eleven students have been diagnosed in the Central Valley School District: four at Chester Elementary; two each at Adams Elementary, Blake Elementary and Horizon Junior High; and one at Opportunity Elementary.
Seven students have been diagnosed in the West Valley School District: six at Centennial; and one at Seth Woodard Elementary.
The Mead School District reports six confirmed cases: two each at Shiloh Hills Elementary, Midway Elementary and Evergreen Elementary.
One case has been diagnosed at St. Mary’s Catholic School.
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