Rampant disease spreads at Carrillo
The MCHS Health Office (Alexa Rios/The Puma Prensa)
Written By: Alexa Rios, Chief Editor
At Maria Carrillo High School, students have heard about Whooping cough or Pertussis, which has been slowly emerging. Many have contracted this infectious disease that spreads and slowly affects its host. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported over 17,500 cases in the U.S. this year alone.
First, Whooping cough can be categorized as Bordetella pertussis, a bacterium that produces various antigens and active components, such as pertussis toxin, pertactin, and Adenylate cyclase. All come together and are responsible for the leading features of Pertussis. This disease is comprised of three stages. The first stage is the Catarrhal, which starts when the host has common cold symptoms, such as a runny nose, sneezing, and a cough. Usually, most people wouldn’t notice a thing about such a mild sickness; however, this usually lasts 1-2 weeks. By this time, the cough will go from mild to severe, entering the Paroxysmal stage. This is where whooping cough gets its name, from the repeated bursts of violent coughing attacks that start to emerge. At this point, it is incredibly contagious; it's heavily suggested to quarantine for 4-21 days, which can fluctuate depending on medication. The primary use of recovery is through antibodies that can be given if one tests positive for Pertussis. The convalescence stage is the last, which involves a gradual recovery that can take weeks to months.
While everyone is different on how whooping cough made them feel, it took me a long time to realize this was simply not a cold. At first, I thought I had caught the sniffles; this was around Homecoming time. However, this persisted, and my coughing became increasingly worse. I still did not think anything of it, and it came to the point where these coughing fits seemingly felt like my airways closed up and I would have to gasp for air. At this point, I had scheduled an appointment with my doctor, and she ran a series of tests. It was during my fourth period that I got pulled out of class and was told by the attendance office that I would have to go home and stay home until my medication was completed, ending my incubation time. No one ever talks about how annoying it is to miss school; to me, it is the worst. You miss many things and must be motivated to catch up on any work you might have missed. Even worse is the stigma when people find out.
Many might not know that schools require three or more doses of the pertussis vaccine on or after your seventh birthday. Then, around the ages of 11-12, adults and teenagers began receiving booster shots every 10 years. There is a misconception that catching whooping cough indicates a lack of being vaccinated, which isn’t the case. All California schools must comply with the California Department of Public Health's demand for checking imunization records from kindergarten through 12th grade. If students cannot show proof of immunization, they will be refrained from attending school in person until they can comply with the requests. Pertussis has yet to be eradicated; being vaccinated can help if you become infected, and the effects won’t be as severe. This isn’t an immunity to catching it, regardless of vaccination. It is easily transmitted through contact with one another; sneezing, coughing, and even talking can cause transmission.
Pertussis has been on the rise at Carrillo, but fear not. As Health Technician Karen Lloyd said, there have been fewer than ten cases at the school. While it still is here, it is certainly not an epidemic. That still doesn't mean we shouldn’t be aware of it. It is a fairly common disease but one that is easily treatable. If you believe you might have it or someone else, get tested and contact the office where you contracted it. This can keep you and others in our community safe.