Children at 2 preschools in Toa Payoh, East Coast to be screened after staff member diagnosed with tuberculosis

CNA

a day ago

SINGAPORE: Children from two preschools will be screened for tuberculosis after a staff member was found to be infected with active tuberculosis disease, a spokesperson from the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) said on Tuesday (Aug 13).
Children at MindChamps Preschool at East Coast will be screened on Tuesday, while those from MapleBear Toa Payoh will be screened on Friday.
CDA, which said it was notified of the diagnosis on Jul 15, did not specify the number of children who would undergo screening but told CNA that anyone who had "close and prolonged contact" with the diagnosed individual would be screened.
Contact tracing was initiated after laboratory tests confirmed the tuberculosis diagnosis. CDA also conducted a site visit to assess the setting and identify the classes, staff and groups who would require screening.
The agency added the diagnosed staff member 'promptly' began tuberculosis treatment, and was placed on medical leave to prevent further transmission.
The staff member is recovering well, is non-infectious and continues to receive treatment, said CDA.
CNA has reached out to both preschools for more information about the number of children affected.
Persons with active tuberculosis disease usually become non-infectious within two weeks once treatment starts, the agency said.
In its reply to CNA, CDA noted that tuberculosis is endemic in Singapore, but it is both curable and preventable. Individuals with latent tuberculosis have no symptoms and cannot transmit the disease.
Appointments and chest X-rays at the National Tuberculosis Screening Centre will be arranged for contacts who require preventive medication to reduce the risk of developing active tuberculosis disease.
A second round of screening will be held at MapleBear Toa Payoh in mid-September, 10 weeks after the date of last exposure. This is in line with national and international guidelines, said the agency.
'This timing helps pick up infections that may not appear in the first test for MapleBear Toa Payoh,' CDA said.
It added that there will only be one screening for identified persons in MindChamps PreSchool at East Coast due to the 'difference in exposure period'.
Responding to queries by CNA on the protocols in place, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) said that when there is any known or suspected case of tuberculosis, preschools are required to promptly notify ECDA, parents and the CDA.
Hygiene, cleaning and disinfection measures to safeguard the health and well-being of all children and staff must also be implemented, ECDA said.
'As part of their regular health surveillance protocols, preschools also conduct daily temperature and health checks on all children, staff, and visitors upon arrival, and must not admit any individual who is unwell or display symptoms of infectious diseases,' ECDA added.
In December 2019, a case of active tuberculosis was found at the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) Sparkletots at Bukit Batok.
In 2016, preschool children at Little Greenhouse's Bukit Batok had to be screened for latent tuberculosis after a teacher was diagnosed with the disease.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
According to a Jul 17 letter sent by MapleBear Toa Payoh to parents and seen by CNA, the staff member had 'officially left' the school two days prior on Jul 15.
The staff member remained in 'good health' till her last working day on Jul 4, before she went on pre-scheduled leave from Jul 7 to 9.
On Jul 10, she submitted medical leave for Jul 10 to 11, the school said in another letter to parents. On Jul 12, she submitted an extended medical certificate covering Jul 11 to 24, citing a 'recent health issue' without providing further details. No diagnosis was stated on the medical certificate.
The person only informed the preschool via email that she was on hospitalisation leave due to a tuberculosis disease diagnosis on Jul 15.
The preschool notified parents on Jul 16 and on the same day, reported the case to the Ministry of Health on Jul 16. It informed ECDA the next day, Jul 17.
Parents of children at the Toa Payoh preschool who had close contact with the staff member were told on Aug 5 – several weeks after they first learned of the case – about the upcoming tuberculosis screening.
CONCERNS FROM PARENTS
Several parents who have children enrolled in the Toa Payoh preschool told CNA that information about the incident was not forthcoming.
Mr Lim, whose three-year-old daughter who will be tested on Friday, said there was a lack of communication between parents and the school, as well as with CDA.
'Parents were trying to dig for more information from the school,' he said, adding that staff had to be continuously 'pressed' about what the tuberculosis protocols are.
He acknowledged that the school faced limitations and was waiting for updates from CDA. Many parents had personally reached out to the agency but received little clarity on what the screening would involve.
In a message sent to parents on Monday (Aug 12), MapleBear Toa Payoh said that it had not received a response from CDA regarding queries and the details of the screening scheduled for Friday despite sending 'multiple follow-ups'.
Mr Lim also questioned why the screening was only taking place a month after the staff member's diagnosis. 'Such things are inevitable, but some parents were really freaking out. We should have received more updates as the days went along,' he said.
'Our primary gripe is that CDA took so long to tell us the next steps,' the 35-year-old creative director said. His wife, Mdm Chong, said her daughter has a respiratory condition. The mother expressed concern about how her child's lungs could be affected if she contracted tuberculosis.
The couple also has an older son in a different class at MapleBear Toa Payoh. They were not informed of any screening for their son.
'Why are other age groups not being tested? My son is in the school too. Aren't they all interacting? The (staff member) also has no clarity on which (staff member) will be tested. What about the cooks and cleaners?' asked Mr Tan.
Another parent, Mr Teo, who also has a six-year-old child enrolled in the same school, agreed that the scope for screening could be broadened.
'Even if the (staff member) wasn't assigned to our child's class, there could have been contact in common areas like hallways, play zones, or during arrival and dismissal times,' he said.