CMO rejects calls for school to be closed amidst suspected gastro outbreak

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George is maintaining that St Paul’s Primary School should remain open, despite mounting concerns over a possible gastroenteritis outbreak. 

St Paul’s Primary School. (Photo Credit: Lauryn Escamilla)

His position comes amid suggestions from some quarters for the temporary closure of the school, following reports of high absenteeism linked to suspected illness.

On Wednesday, the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) called for the school to be closed immediately after more than 100 students failed to turn up for class.

However, in an interview with Barbados TODAY, Dr George cautioned against what he described as a “knee-jerk reaction” to public health challenges.

He revealed that health authorities were monitoring a rise in cases of gastroenteritis, particularly among children under the age of five.

“From time to time there may be outbreaks of infection, whether it be respiratory [or] gastrointestinal, those are the two main ones. The role of public health officials is to make sure that they identify the outbreak, and to intervene quickly so that its effect on the population is limited or diminished.

“The challenge I’m having is that we know so much in terms of prevention of disease, and the first thing we look to is for closure of a school. I don’t believe that is the most appropriate way to manage incidents that will occur from time to time. Closure of a school always comes across as a knee-jerk reaction to a public health problem,” Dr George said.

Instead, he outlined a series of targeted interventions aimed at controlling the spread of illness, while underscoring the importance of maintaining proper sanitation across school compounds.

“In this case, I believe the appropriate public health approach is to take individuals who are sick out of the school. That’s the first thing when we want to try to control an outbreak. The second thing you do is you make sure that you interview the individuals and try to determine how they got it,” Dr George explained.

“The final thing is for the schools across Barbados to institute a plan that involves clean surroundings. That will prevent the breeding of rats, mosquitoes…the things that cause disease.

“We need to make sure that our surroundings are clean because we have an issue with schools with roach droppings and mice droppings. That specifically speaks to not having the environmental health conditions fit for the plant,” he added.

Dr George said a detailed checklist had already been shared with the Ministry of Education to guide schools in improving sanitation standards.

He maintained that the responsibility for ensuring a safe environment extended to everyone on the compound. 

“I believe that it is the responsibility of all persons who are on the school compound to ensure that the environments are free of mosquito breeding, free of garbage, refuse, and rubbish, [and] that the areas where children congregate to have meals… are cleaned after they have those meals,” Dr George said.

Meanwhile, paediatric specialist Dr Clyde Cave confirmed that cases of gastrointestinal illness among children were on the up.

“We are seeing a lot of cases in my office now of children with vomiting and a little bit of diarrhea. 

“Now vomiting is not necessarily gastro… but when there is an epidemic in the community…you assume that it’s going to be all from the same thing,” Cave said.

Dr Cave explained that treatment is largely supportive with hydration being critical. 

He, however, warned that children can deteriorate quickly if symptoms worsen. 

The former Director of Medical Services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital reminded parents that viral gastroenteritis is highly contagious and can easily spread within households and schools.

“Gastro [is] contagious, which means [students] will probably… pick them up at school, but they’re also the ones who take them into school.

“So if a child has symptoms…they have to be out of contact with other children or it’s going to spread. The same thing with parents because the parents will catch the viral infection,” Dr Cave said.

shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb