Southeast Health Unit issues news release on Appling County 9-year-old’s death, school to resume Wednesday

Posted by
Jamie Gardner
in News
Wednesday, November 7. 2012
Comments (8)
The sudden death of a 9-year-old child in Appling County has prompted an investigation by the Southeast Health District (SEHD), Public Health officials confirmed this morning, Tuesday, November 6.

The child died over the weekend. Public Health officials with the SEHD were notified Monday night of the death. SEHD also learned that the child’s younger sibling was hospitalized. This patient is stable.

Currently, SEHD’s Office of Infectious Diseases is investigating the cause of these illnesses. Public Health officials are waiting for further test results to determine the exact cause. Those results may take several days.

SEHD is also working closely with the Appling County School System. At this time, Public Health officials do not suspect that these illnesses represent any specific risk to the community and recommends that the schools reopen. As SEHD officials learn more about this situation, the public will be notified via normal media outlets (radio, newspaper, TV).

It is recommended the public take normal precautions:
1. Wash your hands often,
2. Keep your hands away from your lips, eyes and nose,
3. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze using a tissue or your sleeve and
4. When you are sick, stay home from school or work.

If you have any concerns about your health, please contact your local healthcare provider.

Also according to Superintendent Scarlett Copeland the school system took additional proactive measures Tuesday to disinfect all Appling County Schools. Schools will be back open on Wednesday, Nov. 7.
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#1 Anonymous on 11/07/12 at 10:41 PM [Reply]
When are they going to let the parents know the further details?
If it was a big enough concern to close school Tuesday, what has changed? Are there answers and parents aren't being told? It's not contagious, but another sibling was hospitalized?

This is a very sad tragedy and our hearts go out to the family. However, the rest of us also need answers, so that we can feel safe sending our kids to school.
#2 anon on 11/09/12 at 07:23 AM [Reply]
It wasn't contagious. The sibling's illness is not related. The other siblings are not sick at all. If it wasn't safe to send children to school, do you really think the schools would be open?
#3 Anonymous on 11/09/12 at 08:53 AM [Reply]
Yes, I honestly do.
Where is the updated info they were going to share as they found out?
But, yes, I figured that out when they didn't notify parents of bomb / weapon threats!
Lots of school system employees had the privilege of allowing their kids to stay home that day, but others were not even notified. Yes, school would & has been opened when kids weren't safe.
#4 anon on 11/13/12 at 01:32 PM [Reply]
The schools WERE safe during the 'bomb threat', especially considering the perpetrator had already been caught over the weekend. As for spreading a potentially deadly and unknown illness, it's pretty cold-hearted of you to think our school board would promote that. Since it was not a contagious disease, and we were all notified of this, did you stop to think maybe it wasn't your business what went wrong with that poor child? And by the way, there IS still an ongoing investigation, and I'm sure that just as soon as all the information is in, we'll all be told what we need to know. Maybe you need to homeschool your kids so they're never exposed to anything harmful.
#5 Unknown on 11/17/12 at 08:01 AM [Reply]
From what I hear the illness was contagious and the family was being treated and the brother had the same symptoms. If it wasnt contagious why would the brother have gotten it too?????????? The School Board need to let the parents and concerned citizens know what this illness was and how they can take precautions.
#6 anon on 11/20/12 at 10:25 AM [Reply]
The brother did NOT have it at all. He and the older sister were taken to the hospital to be tested for any possible illnesses, such as flu or pneumonia. Many of us are personal friends of the family, and saw the two older children with our own eyes, and they were not even remotely ill. The family, and others who were in close contact, were given some medication to ward off possible flu, but it turned out not to be necessary. You should not listen to gossip. Get your facts straight before you spread untruths.
#7 unknow on 12/03/12 at 04:30 PM [Reply]
Why was the brother in the hospital then?
#8 Anonymous on 12/08/12 at 12:01 PM [Reply]
And...they never did let the public know the conclusion to the "investigation".
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