When we live with somebody who’s sick with something contagious, there’s always a delicate dance at hand. On one hand, most of these illnesses are rough and energy-sapping to go through, so we want to help our loved ones deal with them as smoothly as possible.
But on the other hand, we also don’t want to contract the illness ourselves so our care also tends to involve us keeping a safe distance as often as possible.
Unfortunately, there’s always a period before we realize we have a disease where it incubates and slides under the radar as it transfers to other people. This can make us feel a little guilty when we have a cold, but it becomes a lot more serious when the illness does.
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In response to competition from streaming services, many theaters now include reclining seats to make the experience more comfortable.
Others like the AMC Dine-In in Fullarton, California give customers a convenient way to enjoy meals during their shows without taking up juggling.
Unfortunately, KYMA reported that customers at this Orange County theater may have ended up with more than an entertaining movie if they came here between 11:00 pm and 4:00 am on Thursday.
This was the time in which one woman had arrived to see “Avengers: Endgame” and she likely saw it in a packed theater.
As California public health officials warned, this woman is infected with measles and potentially exposed her fellow viewers to the contagious disease.
Unfortunately, this also goes for anyone who was in the building at all around that time.
As Dr. Julia S. Sammons from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia told KYMA , once a person has measles, about 90% of those in close contact with them who are vulnerable to the disease will get it.
If someone was in the same room or touched the same surface as this woman, they’re at risk.
Once someone contracts it, they can expect to experience coughing, fever, runny nose, watery eyes, and the disease’s trademark red spots.
However, the CDC added that measles can also lead to serious complications, particularly for young children, like pneumonia and ear infections.
These ear infections have been known to result in permanent hearing loss.
Measles were supposed to be eliminated in the United States back in 2000, but we’ve recently seen a record resurgence of cases throughout the country.
As KYMA reported , this is at least partially due to a rise in vaccine-averse parents who were influenced by misinformation coming from the anti-vax community.
However, these attitudes aren’t necessarily what led the woman in this case to potentially infect theater customers.
The Orange County Health Care Agency said she had recently returned from a country with high rates of measles and was infectious between last Wednesday through last Friday.
This means that anyone who entered buildings at 5 Hutton Centre Drive in Santa Ana may also have been exposed.
However, her infection with and possible transmission of the disease likely occurred without her knowledge.
As KYMA reported , she is now voluntarily isolating herself at home to avoid putting anyone else in danger of exposure.
Although hers is the first measles case in Orange County this year, it’s the 38th in California at large.
According to the California Department of Public Health, she would also have been the 14th person in the state to have contracted measles during international travel.
h/t: KYMA
