GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC (WYFF) - Upstate health officials held a news conference Thursday afternoon to give more detailed information about the death of a 4K student.
Deputy
Coroner Barry Wright, Department of Health and Environmental Controls
Director Melissa Overman and Medical Examiner and Forensic Pathologist
James Fulcher gave an update on the preliminary findings of physical and
microscopic exams.
Wright
said that they have ruled out meningitis and myocarditis, and they are
"working feverishly" to get answers as to what type of infection
5-year-old Jeremiah Cornelius Simmons may have had.
Jeremiah was a 4K student at Blythe Academy.
Wright
and Fulcher said repeatedly that the school and school district took
"every effort to ensure the safety of the students, parents and staff.
Wright said the staff's reaction was "swift," and a cleaning crew was
brought in to decontaminate the school immediately after the district
learned of Jeremiah's death.
Fulcher
said the school's response was "profound" and said they did a
"phenomenal job," even saying that the level of disinfecting the school
was in his estimation "overkill."
Fulcher
said that though they still don't know what type of infection Jeremiah
had, no bacterial illness has been found in preliminary tests, and they
are looking at viral infections, though "that could change, it is not
likely."
Fulcher
said that they "can't look for every single virus on the planet," but
they will try to determine what virus it might have been.
He
said that Jeremiah had a pre-existing condition that his parents could
not have known could become life-threatening when combined with other
factors. Fulcher said that Jeremiah's mother said he had snored loudly
his entire life, and that could indicate an airway issue that could have
come into play when combine with illness. Fulcher said Jeremiah's
brain showed indications of chronic hypoxia, meaning that he had
chronically not been able to breath well enough.
Fulcher
said the illness combined with the affected airway could have been a
"perfect storm," leading to the boy's death from cardiac arrest.
He said Jeremiah's mother did "everything that a conscientious mother would do" and "she should be commended."
Fulcher
said they are awaiting toxicology results and have two labs working on
testing and microscopic exams, but he believes within "reasonable
medical certainty that the children (at the school) are likely in the
clear."
Wright
said he doesn't want people to be "in a panic mode." He said there are
several agencies involved, and if any kind of warning or alarm needs to
be sounded, they will do so. He said they erred on the side of caution
by saying initially the illness could be contagious, but they feel at
this time, all the necessary precautions have been taken, and school
worked "quickly and thoroughly" to make the school safe.
(Source: WYFF)
