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The question of school closure is a difficult one to decide,
and each case has to be carefully considered on its merits. Where
the infectious disease is widely-spread in a district, it is unlikely
that closure will improve matters. Where one or two classes in
a school show a large number of cases of infectious disease,
closure of the school may stop further spread of the infection.
Tables IX. to XIV. show the incidence of each infectious
disease in the Ilford Schools during 1920.
(a) Scarlet Fever.—154 cases were reported in 1920, against
165 in 1919. This disease has still been widely prevalent in the
London districts during the year. It cannot be said that any
particular school has been affected during 1920. The infection
has only been kept within reasonable bounds by the efforts of the
department.
(b) Diphtheria.—130 cases were reported in 1920, as compared
with 78 in 1919. The disease affected particular schools,
especially in May and June, when a small outbreak occurred at
Little Heath School. When a number of cases of Diphtheria
have been notified from a school, it has been my practice to visit
the school and swab all children who are suffering from a sore
throat or running nose, in order to detect "carriers" of the
diphtheria bacillus. At Little Heath School I found that the carrierrate
was high, and in view of this fact and that sanitary defects required
attending to at the school, I recommended its closure. This
resulted in a cessation of the disease. Three more cases, however,
occurred in October and a further visit to the school detected
another "carrier," after whose isolation the infection
ceased. A number of cases of diphtheria occurred at Downshall
School (Junior Mixed Department) from September to November.
I found a "carrier" at the School, after whose isolation no more
cases occurred. In December two children from the Junior
Mixed Department of Loxford School were admitted to the Isolation
Hospital suffering from a serious type of Diphtheria. On
visiting the school, I discovered one "carrier," who had herself
suffered from an undiscovered attack of diphtheria. Four other