THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 7, 1995 TAG: 9504060146
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 33 lines
Even as we pray for the recovery of a 13-year-old Crestwood Middle School student who contracted the meningococcal disease that killed another local teenager last month, we must take special care to see that the dangerous disease does not spread to other children.
Chesapeake's Health Department, under the direction of Dr. Nancy Welch, has responded quickly to the situation by distributing antibiotics to students, teachers and others who had been in contact with the afflicted child. Local public health workers are doing all they can to diminish the risk.
Parents can help by being alert to signs of the disease. Children who have a high fever, severe headache, nausea or vomiting, stiff neck or a rash, should be seen by a physician without delay.
These systems are not uncommon among young people during this time of year, when allergies begin to act up and the weather vacillates between chilly and warm. This spring, though, we mustn't assume it's just another case of the sniffles.
No parent wants his or her child to be the one that contracts meningitis. When a child gets sick, don't guess what might be the cause. Consult a doctor and be sure. by CNB