Health Check for Employment

[QuestionsNeedAnswer]

Hey y'all, I need some serious advice or help, SOS!

I got hired for a teaching position in August 2020. (yay me)

I know I will be getting a health check up and everything but I am very anxious. I am diagnosed with reactive hep. A but I do NOT have it no more. I had it last year.

My doctor can confirm it with documentation and everything.

When I signed my personal health status declaration, it specifically says in the document "not a virus carrier of hep. B, HIV, tuberculous, syphilis, or other infectious diseases"

 

Do yall think because of this, it would prevent me from being employed with my future job in China?

I have read horror stories of schools breaking the contract with abroad teachers because of failed health checks after 10 days. I would be devastated. SO please take time to respond and help a girl out! You wouldn't even understand how much I would appreciate it!!! 

[abcdefg]

The China health check for prospective teachers is more concerned with Hepatitis B than Hepatitis A. 

 

11 hours ago, QuestionsNeedAnswer said:

Do yall think because of this, it would prevent me from being employed with my future job in China?

 

If you test negative for Hepatitis B, the antigen and its antibodies, you should be OK. 

 

https://www.hepb.org/blog/whats-difference-hepatitis-vs-hepatitis-b/

 

https://www.hepb.org/prevention-and-diagnosis/diagnosis/understanding-your-test-results/ 

 

A little closer to August I would suggest getting a complete battery of hepatitis tests and make copies of the actual results to take with you. This might help in case questions are raised. 

 

Also, it would be a very good idea to talk to your doctor about immunization against both Hep A and Hep B if you haven't already done so. Best to do that right away. 

 

Hope it all works out!

[mungouk]

People regularly come on to this forum to ask similar questions (including about HIV and others)... it would be great if they could come back and share their answer/experiences, because we are greatly lacking in recent information!

 

This could be done anonymously by creating a new account of course.

 

 

[NinjaTurtle]

QNA,

 

It doesn't really matter what kind of documentation you bring with you, because your employer in China will most likely have you get a medical examination in China. Everything depends on your results from the medical exam in China

[mungouk]

12 minutes ago, NinjaTurtle said:

your employer in China will most likely have you get a medical examination in China

 

They will definitely have you do a medical examination in China. 

 

(I just did one in Beijing last week. FYI it cost 500 RMB and I got the results delivered by courier in 3 days.)

 

If you get the all-clear before you arrive, then this will presumably make things infinitely less stressful.

 

 

[abcdefg]

On 12/16/2019 at 11:05 PM, mungouk said:

 

(I just did one in Beijing last week. FYI it cost 500 RMB and I got the results delivered by courier in 3 days.)

 

Just for my own curiosity, since it has been several years since I last hand one of these, do you mind if I ask whether it included specific tests for Hepatitis A? My recollection was that it only tested for Hepatitis B as a specific disease; not sure about C. (I realize than the lab panel also has general liver function tests over and above the assays for Hepatitis .) 

 

On 12/16/2019 at 11:04 PM, NinjaTurtle said:

It doesn't really matter what kind of documentation you bring with you, because your employer in China will most likely have you get a medical examination in China. Everything depends on your results from the medical exam in China

 

That is true. You will definitely need another exam on Chinese soil. But if you don't know the score going into the process, there is no way you could even begin to protest or ask for clarification from the China Health Testing authority if you disagreed with their results.

 

You would be armed with some data to support your position. You wouldn't just be relying on some lame anecdotal opinion, such as "But Good Old Dr. Jones back in Muleshoe, Arkansas said I was fine." 

[QuestionsNeedAnswer]

Yall are so helpful!

I know I will have to get tested again, I am 100% confident about passing all the tests, it's just the hepatitis A really even if I dont have it no more, I am not sure if it is worth mentioning since it does fall under "infectious disease" but I did have it last year. I just wanted some clarification.

HOW IS BEIJING? is it wonderful and are you happy?

[mungouk]

1 hour ago, abcdefg said:

whether it included specific tests for Hepatitis A?

 

Well spotted. The antigen tests appear to be:

• HBsAg qualitative — for Hepatitis B, according to google
• Anti-HCV — Hepatitis C, ditto google
• Anti-HIV
• Anti-TP (TPPA) — Syphilis, ditto google

Apart from that the blood test results include a lot of detail on cholesterol, triglycerides, creatinine, urea, ALT/AST (liver enzymes) and a detailed blood profile with blood type and a mass of alphabetti spaghetti: MPV, MCHC, MCV, MCH etc.

 

They also do an abdominal ultrasound scan which would show up certain liver abnormalities I suppose?

 

I have 2 sets of results, one from May 2019 and one from last week and they have all the same tests.  

 

 

So @QuestionsNeedAnswer — it looks like any history of Hepatitis A is not relevant, as they only test for B and C.   

 

The "Certificate of Verification" I got doesn't mention any of the test results, it just states that your "health examination record accords with the requirement as a result of verification" and that it's valid for 6 months. You get two original copies, marked 正本 （original).

 

Disclaimer: I had my tests done in Beijing, so there's a chance they might be different in other provinces.  Having said that, my certificates are headed "Entry-exit inspection and quarantine of the People's Republic of China", so it looks like they would be the same across the whole of PRC.

 

 

 

[abcdefg]

That's what I thought. Good to know. Thanks. 

[WeiLe]

Hep A should be fine. They pay more attention to hep B. And since your doctor can prepare the documents to prove that you’re already cured and no longer a virus carrier, it shouldn’t stop them from hiring you.