Cal State LA was identified by the LA County Department of Public Health as one of several sites in the LA County where the measles exposure may have occurred.
The exposure was believed to have occurred on April 11 between 11 a.m and 3 p.m. As luck would have it, I was working at Smart Start, which is located in the library, during that time frame.
“Good morning Anthony,” said Smart Start coordinator Maria Molina. “Unfortunately, you can’t come into work today, actually none of us can come into work today.”
Maria went on to inform me that I would have to go to the Student Health Center on campus to undergo testing in order to be cleared for work. So I did, immediately.
A few of my co-workers and colleagues were also there, voicing their disapproval over this matter. Those who claimed to be vaccinated had to provide proof, otherwise, they would have blood drawn and shots given.
After a frantic search for my own immunization records, unfortunately, they were not able to be recovered.
I began to realize while I was standing in line that there was no way around it, I had to get tested and take my shots. I ended up waiting over an hour before I was able to see the doctor and when I finally did, I got bad news.
After I got my blood drawn, I was told the blood test would take 48 to 96 hours to determine whether or not I have the measles virus. Until then, I was under legal quarantine and not allowed to leave my house.
As the semester winds down, I am concerned as a student that I will fall behind in my classes, especially with finals are approaching. I am also worried about whether or not I will be compensated for work while I am under quarantined.
Originally, I made an appointment to follow up and return to school on Monday, April 29.
I received a call from Cal State LA again informing me that my appointment was canceled on Monday, April 29, and that I would not be able to return to school until the LA County Public Health Department called me directly.
On that Friday, I arrived on campus with my immunization records and I was finally cleared, but I was still quarantined until further notice.
As of Monday, April 29th, I, along with many other Library North staff, faculty, employees and students assistants, have been cleared to return to work and school, but it does not change the fact that we had to endure a weekend filled with stress and anxiety.
I believed the health administrators should have taken a different approach and focused more on the student population. The person infected could have gone anywhere and the virus could have spread through the entire university.
While this has been unfortunate for me and others, I believe this is a good learning experience for Cal State LA. If the university had a more organized plan, then we as a student population would be better prepared for this situation.
