Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

AIDS furor hits
public schools
By Slad Budcn ud
GabyCarrfJo
Acquired Immune Seficiaicy Syndrome
(AIDS) h a lire-threatening
impairment or the body', immune
system: AIDS prevents Ihe system
from wiping out invading gerau. virtues,
or other Infections.
AIDS w first idcatMcd la Ihe
United Suta in 1S»I atnonf horao-
Knial comcutidca in New York and
Los Angele*. Ibe number of cues
l>as rises fnatry since thcn—anl cooonus
10 die.
Trc latest statistics show that
12,932 people htve contracted the
disease and 6.491 of them have died.
The disease has reached epidemic
pnvcrtions and is the number one
health issue of the decade.
Currently, tho most disputed hsue
of the AIDS cootro»my is whether
to admit children with AIDS into the
public school system. The most corn- -
nion ways which children get AIDS
is blood transfusions and from the
mother while still a fetus.
demand psrenul concern; ir you
think your kids ore having sex and
doing dni»s during clan, then yuu're
right for taking ihan out." one junior
answered.
Another junior reacted dirTcrcntly.
"... The people »no are spreading
It sijuild be shot (homoseuals) ...
Ifone came to Lowell (AIDS victim)
I would stay as far away fmm him
as possible."
If a teenager •Hth AIDS were enrolled
in Lowell, Principal Alan
Fibuh would take careful measures.
"I would esk the School District to
appoint a pbysicisn to make Ihe juit;
meat on whether Ihe child was a»null)
contagious and whether there
was • danger to other cudentt. On
the basis of mat qualified opinion. I
would accept or refuse lo accept the
child."
Although nj one. as of yet. has
contracted the disease through saliva.
sweat, or tears, minute samples of the
AIDS virus have been found in the*:
substances, but these fluids are considered
to br Inw-mlc.
"/ wouldn't mind being their friend,
but I wouldn't want to touch them."
On Tuodsj. Scptebme- 10, In
Hew York, more thin 18,000 children
were kept from attending the
first day of school ry their panicstricken
parents.
"What you're seeing now in
school, Witt kids not going to school.
is hysteria." Dr. William Vitiello,
San Francisco's AIDS Prcventta
Program coordinator remarkc j.
T< i panic was caused by the annoo
Mircitf mad* by tcJwol official*
ti»M a 7-ycar-otd second grader with
AIDS would be attending tn anonymous
school.
The Queens School District in New
York is taking precautionary measures
to keep the child out c* school,
and until a decision is made, the second
grader will not be attending
regular classes.
Ooscr to home, la Carmcl. California,
an 8-ycarold third grader was
kept out of school because he has
AIDS.
The Camel Unified School District
stated that the chill would remain
at home v. ith s tutor for Ihe next
two months.
"We hope to raise the icvel of
awareness in Ihe community about
AIDS and avoid some of the hysteris
like wc'»e seen in New York." Carmel
Superintendent Robert lifclise
was quoted us saying.
San Francisco Unified School District's
policy on whether to allow
AIDS duldrer. in school is lo study
each case individually.
In San Francisco, five cans of children
with AIDS have been reported,
but no child has reached school age.
At Lowell, students were asked
what they tbought about having AIDS
victims attending their school.
One sophomore replied. "1
wouldn't mind being their friend, but
1 wouldn't want lo touch them."
For the most pan. Lowell students
were well informed en AIDS. "I
think that kids should be allowed to
attend school because no one I've
heard of has ever caught it (AIDS)
from anything but sot. Wood tramfu-
JIOBS, or prenatal contact. I can unfjiil
Health official* have declared ibat
AIDS it definitely transmitted
through the exchange of bodily fluid*.
Among these ire included blood.
Kmcn, and body wanes.
Viikllo luted, "The AIDS virus
U present in saliva, but MI are other
organisnu. 1< doesn't mean you have
that discaic, it jvnt means thai you've
been exposed to it."
"For every question that you raitc
(ahovt AinS) your t}ucattAm rait**
more qucuion*. You'll rwver get a
dcriiuie ntnwcr,'* Vilicllu added.
Touching, dry kiiiim:. caiing.
working, riding thebtu, living with
or being near an AIDS victim pew*
no risk.
COntamiiutal bodU> fluids may be
transferred through direct xxial contact,
the sharing of i.v. needles, and
blood iransfinioui.
The greaur population is not at
risk for AIDS. Tbc high-risk population
groups have been homotcxiui
men. bisexual men, intnvr~ut& drug
user*. Kaitiar : iranijnuai. hemophiliacs
and, more recently, prostitutes.
Additkxully. blood donation* ire
now ttwruutnly checked for A! US
antibodies through a newly designed
testing procedure.
Although the situation is dire, a
vaccine is predicted to appear on
world market by the year 1986.
When aikcd what the best advice
about AIDS for the general public u.
Vitiello responded, "You have to
make sure you're doing something
preventative. You have to have a plan
in mind for yourself so at least you
know ie'dc yourself that you're doing
everything you can so you will
not get AIDS."
For more information about AIDS,
the followrjg agencies arc available:
Sao Francisco AIDS Foundation
call86>AJDS
AIPS Health Project call 626.7W0
San FrapciJio General Hospital
call 8214616
SU9 AIDS Project call 392-0368
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