New coworker has TB

NavyBlue143

We're all going to die.

Seriously though, a coworker who is a friend of mine overheard the office ladies talking about it. Boss was apparently informed yesterday but didn't see the point in telling anybody. She does not plan on informing any of us, or the families of the children. This is nine kinds of immoral (possibly illegal?) and since several of us have immunocompromised family members, those who do know are freaking out. I have no firsthand info, but short of getting myself tested, what should I do?

offensivekitten2

Contact the Infection Control Center for your state. Investigations are confidential, and include testing. Your boss is deeply wrong for ignoring the risk. Office environments are ideal for TB transmission (IE sharing air for hours).

ETA: depending on the state, you may have to contact the dept of health instead.

JCbride2015

Did your boss send the sick coworker home?  If not, I'd be hightailing it home pronto.

Other than that, I'm not really sure.

larrygaga

This is why paid sick days are important

Lizzieyounce

Absolutely call your local health board or agency and report it.  I'd also consider going over your bosses head, if boss has someone over him/her.  

TB is highly contagious, most strains are treatable, but if some coworkers have immunosuppressed family members it's putting them in HUGE danger as well.  What the boss is doing is ILLEGAL.  TB is a reportable disease to the CDC.  HE HAS to do something for the safety of everyone.  Jesus, he could carry this shit home to HIS family!!!  This needs to be stressed to him as well.  Maybe he won't be such a douche if he sees it from a selfish POV.

Sugargirl1019

Wow! That's awful! You have to have a special kind of mask to wear - not just a regular face mask you think of in the hospital. The CDC and health department phone calls definitely needs to be made and they may be able to instruct you on how to proceed.

Please keep us updated!

sarahufl

I would try to get to the bottom of the story. I work at a major university and they are really diligent about dispelling rumors and sending out public safety alerts. Sometimes a little to diligent and it gets really freaking annoying, but better safe than sorry.

If it were me, I would go to the boss and say you heard the rumor. That if the rumor is true, you believe the sick person should be sent home and ask for permission to work from home for a couple days or something.

If it is true, they suck for not saying anything. If it isn't, someone needs to clear that up ASAP- sometimes gossip spreads faster than infectious diseases.

AzAnnie

Fi is a nurse. His advice is to call your bosses boss and get yourself tested. It sounds like you may work in a school or daycare. If that is the case, I believe they have to call the health department.

littlemushroom

^Agree with @sarahufl.  Gossip is the worst and gets twisted around.  I had shingles once (very mild, on my thigh, and was NOT contagious per my doctor) and somehow that got switched around in office gossip and everyone was saying I had scabies!  Soooo not true.  Find out whether it is true before freaking out.

mysticl

Does the new co-worker actually have TB or did he/she just have a positive PPD? A positive PPD does not automatically mean the person is sick. It sounds like you are going on 3rd or 4th hand information here. The perfect situation for things to get exaggerated. As far as the TB needing to be reported to the authorities I'm sure that if the person actually has it his/her doctor has already made the appropriate notifications.

pinkshorts27

mysticl said:

Does the new co-worker actually have TB or did he/she just have a positive PPD? A positive PPD does not automatically mean the person is sick. It sounds like you are going on 3rd or 4th hand information here. The perfect situation for things to get exaggerated. As far as the TB needing to be reported to the authorities I'm sure that if the person actually has it his/her doctor has already made the appropriate notifications.

My FI always tests positive for the TB test prick test (is that called the PPD?), but does not have TB. His dad works in a TB research center and has done blood tests and FI had x-rays done on his lungs. 

mysticl

pinkshorts27 said:

mysticl said:

Does the new co-worker actually have TB or did he/she just have a positive PPD? A positive PPD does not automatically mean the person is sick. It sounds like you are going on 3rd or 4th hand information here. The perfect situation for things to get exaggerated. As far as the TB needing to be reported to the authorities I'm sure that if the person actually has it his/her doctor has already made the appropriate notifications.

My FI always tests positive for the TB test prick test (is that called the PPD?), but does not have TB. His dad works in a TB research center and has done blood tests and FI had x-rays done on his lungs. 

The PPD is the skin test.  Once you test positive on that you pretty much always do.  A follow up x-ray is needed to determine if the person has an active form of the disease.  

pinkshorts27

mysticl said:

pinkshorts27 said:

mysticl said:

Does the new co-worker actually have TB or did he/she just have a positive PPD? A positive PPD does not automatically mean the person is sick. It sounds like you are going on 3rd or 4th hand information here. The perfect situation for things to get exaggerated. As far as the TB needing to be reported to the authorities I'm sure that if the person actually has it his/her doctor has already made the appropriate notifications.

My FI always tests positive for the TB test prick test (is that called the PPD?), but does not have TB. His dad works in a TB research center and has done blood tests and FI had x-rays done on his lungs. 

The PPD is the skin test.  Once you test positive on that you pretty much always do.  A follow up x-ray is needed to determine if the person has an active form of the disease.  

Gotcha. yea, I'm definitely not a doctor. I do know that they are working on blood tests if they don't have them out already and that FI donated some blood to be tested and was cleared according to the research center. I guess it pays to have a father in research. They (the doctor) actually hypothesized that he might be allergic to something in the skin test but have not done any further investigation.

sarahufl

So if you have a PPD, you should get sent home from work?

Kidding, but that me laugh a little bit

mysticl

pinkshorts27 said:

mysticl said:

pinkshorts27 said:

mysticl said:

Does the new co-worker actually have TB or did he/she just have a positive PPD? A positive PPD does not automatically mean the person is sick. It sounds like you are going on 3rd or 4th hand information here. The perfect situation for things to get exaggerated. As far as the TB needing to be reported to the authorities I'm sure that if the person actually has it his/her doctor has already made the appropriate notifications.

My FI always tests positive for the TB test prick test (is that called the PPD?), but does not have TB. His dad works in a TB research center and has done blood tests and FI had x-rays done on his lungs. 

The PPD is the skin test.  Once you test positive on that you pretty much always do.  A follow up x-ray is needed to determine if the person has an active form of the disease.  

Gotcha. yea, I'm definitely not a doctor. I do know that they are working on blood tests if they don't have them out already and that FI donated some blood to be tested and was cleared according to the research center. I guess it pays to have a father in research. They (the doctor) actually hypothesized that he might be allergic to something in the skin test but have not done any further investigation.

Stupid quote box:

I used to work in foster care.  All members of foster families have to be routinely screened for TB (at least they did in my state).  For a while it was my job to track them and make sure they were in compliance.  I had to be familiar with the protocol so I could document what was happening.  We did have a couple of employees freak out when they heard about positive skin tests so we did try to keep that information under wraps.  

pinkshorts27

mysticl said:

pinkshorts27 said:

mysticl said:

pinkshorts27 said:

mysticl said:

Does the new co-worker actually have TB or did he/she just have a positive PPD? A positive PPD does not automatically mean the person is sick. It sounds like you are going on 3rd or 4th hand information here. The perfect situation for things to get exaggerated. As far as the TB needing to be reported to the authorities I'm sure that if the person actually has it his/her doctor has already made the appropriate notifications.

My FI always tests positive for the TB test prick test (is that called the PPD?), but does not have TB. His dad works in a TB research center and has done blood tests and FI had x-rays done on his lungs. 

The PPD is the skin test.  Once you test positive on that you pretty much always do.  A follow up x-ray is needed to determine if the person has an active form of the disease.  

Gotcha. yea, I'm definitely not a doctor. I do know that they are working on blood tests if they don't have them out already and that FI donated some blood to be tested and was cleared according to the research center. I guess it pays to have a father in research. They (the doctor) actually hypothesized that he might be allergic to something in the skin test but have not done any further investigation.

Stupid quote box:

I used to work in foster care.  All members of foster families have to be routinely screened for TB (at least they did in my state).  For a while it was my job to track them and make sure they were in compliance.  I had to be familiar with the protocol so I could document what was happening.  We did have a couple of employees freak out when they heard about positive skin tests so we did try to keep that information under wraps.  

Gotcha,I only know limited information after because FI had to calm me down when I freaked because he tested positive via skin test.  

NavyBlue143

The person had a positive arm test. She knew she had been exposed, because in her home childcare setting a child had it. But she didn't get tested. Shortly afterward she was hired here, had to get the test, and her arm erupted. Went to the Dr. and it was positive. Awaiting the results of a chest x ray because she has also been feeling badly. Manager plans to call HR and health department herself. She's furious boss wanted to sweep this under the rug.

This has all been verified by the office assistant. She is in direct contact with the coworker who tested positive. We are waiting until some more tests are run. Probably will just be dealing with the latent version, but still, I would like to have been told instead of hearing through the grapevine.

ladyamanuet

I get that the boss didn't want to say WHO it was, since that is likely protected under some kind of confidentiality law. But boss ABSOLUTELY needed to send an email out saying that for someone in the office the arm test was positive and further tests were being done, and that boss would keep you all up to date on whether the x-rays came back positive and everyone else had to be tested as well. 

Boss better damn well be paying for everyone in the office's test since he/she tried to sweep this under the rug.

Though I think someone said that once the health department is involved the tests are free?

MamaAlly89

A positive TB test doesn't necessarily mean you have TB. Typically it just shows that you were exposed to it at some time. They will need to do a chest x-ray to look into it further. Also, once you test positive once you will always test positive. Most times if the person isn't showing any symptoms of active TB (like a nasty cough) they won't make a big deal out of it.

doeydo

Both my sisters have it, neither myself or my mom have it.  They were treated for it and are just fine.  http://www.cdc.gov/tb/topic/treatment/default.htm