"The San Francisco Department of Public Health said in a news release that among the 1,261 students and staff at the high school, 219 people, or about 17%, tested positive for TB. Subsequently, 204 of those people had confirmed cases of latent TB. The number is a major increase from the 50 latent cases detected by the end of January as testing was ramping up among the school's students and staff."
"SFDPH said the school is safe to continue in-person lessons after the testing measures. "Using a TB clearance process developed under guidance from SFDPH, ARHS has been able to clear 99% of current students and 100% of faculty and on-campus staff from active TB disease in order to safely return to fully on-campus learning," the department said in an email."
"There are two types of tuberculosis: active TB and latent TB. A person with active TB can spread the disease and may have symptoms including chills, fever, weight loss and coughing up blood. A person with latent TB likely will have no symptoms and cannot spread the disease, but they can transition into active TB at any time. Both forms of TB can be treated by months of antibiotics."
San Francisco Department of Public Health reported a sharp increase in documented latent tuberculosis cases after an outbreak at Archbishop Riordan High School. Among 1,261 students and staff, 219 people (about 17%) tested positive for TB and 204 were confirmed latent TB cases. The latent total rose from 50 by the end of January as testing expanded. Active TB cases remain at three. The school was cleared to continue in-person learning after a TB clearance process that cleared 99% of students and 100% of faculty and on-campus staff. Latent TB is asymptomatic and noncontagious but can progress to active disease; both forms are treatable with months of antibiotics. Contact tracing and testing are emphasized to prevent future active cases.
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