School officials were available on campus to answer questions from concerned parents of students who recently found out their children may have been at risk of being exposed to the disease.
On April 9th students at Lemoore High School are scheduled to get tested for tuberculosis. That's after a teenager at the school was diagnosed with active tuberculosis and now many parents are ready to have their kids tested, "It doesn't really scare me I will have them tested to be on the safe side," said Blanca Ochoa.
Ochoa has two teenagers who study at the school. She wishes the school didn't just send a letter home, but also notified her sooner. "I wish I would have at least got a phone call, it probably would have been better saying what was going on," said Ochoa.
Action News has learned the sick boy is now recovering at home and is well enough to even do homework to keep up with his classmates. School nurse Cara Cummings is asking parents not to panic, "I think a little bit of concern is natural and it is healthy to be concerned. It's definitely safe for your kid to come to school," Cummings said.
The Health Department says tuberculosis which usually attacks the lungs can be deadly if left untreated but it is easily curable with the right medication. Symptoms to watch out for include a slight cough that persists more than three weeks, unintentional weight loss and a low fever in the afternoons and night sweats. About 160 students are believed to have had direct contact with the sick teenager. "We have already identified some of the students he hung out with and they have already been tested and they have all tested negative," said Debbie Grice with the Kings County Health Department.
UPDATE: Action News learned from a parent that an automated call was made from Lemoore High School on Tuesday afternoon.
