Updated

Updated · 97.5 Glory FM · Sep 12

Clayton Medical Examiner Rules 57-Year-Old Inmate's Death Neglect, Citing Uninhabitable Jail Conditions

Updated

Updated · 97.5 Glory FM · Sep 12

Clayton Medical Examiner Rules 57-Year-Old Inmate's Death Neglect, Citing Uninhabitable Jail Conditions

Q: As an Atlanta measles outbreak spreads among unvaccinated children, why is the identity of the affected daycare still being kept secret?

Georgia health officials appear to be withholding the daycare’s name mainly to protect patient privacy and preserve the contact-tracing process while they identify and notify people who were actually exposed. The Georgia Department of Public Health has repeatedly said it is still working to find “close contacts” linked to the outbreak. In communicable-disease investigations, public health agencies typically notify exposed people without publicly identifying infected individuals or, in some cases, the exact setting if doing so could indirectly reveal who the sick children are. Because this outbreak involves a daycare and unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated children, naming the facility could make those families easier to identify. Officials also may believe a public release is less useful than direct notification at this stage. Measles spreads through the air and can linger for up to two hours after an infected person leaves, but the highest priority is reaching people who were present during the infectious window and advising them on symptoms, testing, isolation, and possible post-exposure steps. That said, the secrecy has drawn criticism because measles is highly contagious and some parents argue broader public notice could help families act faster. So far, though, DPH has chosen to describe the outbreak only as tied to a “metro Atlanta daycare” while emphasizing vaccination, symptom awareness, and calling ahead before seeking care.

3 articles · Updated · 97.5 Glory FM · Sep 12

Scott Worthy, 57, died last week in the Clayton County jail after streptococcus pyogenes sepsis, and the county medical examiner ruled the death resulted from medical neglect and uninhabitable living conditions.
Four days before his death, Worthy told EMS workers he had been unable to get up, eat or use the bathroom, according to the medical examiner's office.
Investigators said the jail failed to identify and respond to his physical deterioration, a lapse they found contributed to the fatal infection and his death.