South Carolina Students Involved in Atlanta TB Scare

Gaffney, SC (TLS). Beth Hawkins of Gaffney, South Carolina was on the flight from Atlanta to Paris that carried the Atlanta man who is now under a federal isolation order for carrying a deadly strain of TB. Hawkins and a group of students from the University of South Carolina, Aiken Campus, were flying to Europe for a week and a half.

Hawkins found out about the TB scare after returning home to Gaffney from Europe, when a family member saw on television the flight number that CDC officials had identified as one of the flights the Atlanta man had taken.

Although officials from the World Health Organization have not contacted Hawkins as one of those within the rows of seats most vulnerable on the flight, Hawkins was taking no chances. She went to the Cherokee County Health Department first thing Wednesday morning to have the first of a series of TB skin tests.

Hawkins also contacted her classmates who were on the flight with her to Europe, and each of these students will also be tested.

As of yet there is no reason to believe that any of the students are in any danger. Yet they state they prefer to err on the side of caution.

The Atlanta man who started it all is now in isolation at Grady Memorial Medical Center in Atlanta, awaiting to be transported to Denver for the remainder of his treatment. So far the man has had no symptoms whatsoever, and his level of infection appears at this point to be non-active, which is good news for those with whom he came into contact.

The man's wife has tested negative for TB as well--another good sign.

As for the South Carolina students who were on the initial flight with the man, the only thing they can do now is wait for their test results and hope and pray for the best.