When T’ana was changing clothes after gym class she noticed a large circular patch on her back. Hmm, this looks like I am develo
ping a rash, she thought to herself. I’ll have Mom take a look at it when I get home. It’s probably this new body wash. During the day, the patch began to itch so badly T’ana had to go to the nurse.
“Nurse Jones, I have this really weird patch on my back that’s starting to itch. Could you take a look at it?” T’ana asked.
“T’ana it looks like you have a good old fashioned case of ringworm. Put this medication on it and it will go away in a few days,” Nurse Jones said.
T’ana was disturbed at the thought that she had ringworm and couldn’t imagine where she got it from. However, she was happy she knew what to do. For more than a week, T’ana faithfully applied the ointment to the patch every night before bed, but it didn’t seem be getting any better.
In fact, T’ana noticed some dark spots appearing up and down her left side. They almost appeared to be forming a Christmas tree. After running in gym class, she felt a little ill and her side began to itch even more. T’ana immediately went back to the nurse’s office.
“Nurse Jones! I’ve put this medication on every day just like you said, but this patch on my back isn’t getting any better,” she said. “And now my side is looking like a Christmas tree because of these dark spots. See?” T’ana raised her shirt.
“Oh T’ana, I’m sorry, but I think I was wrong about you having ringworm,” Nurse Jones said. “I think this is a case of Pityriasis Rosea.” She pulled out her medical dictionary and showed T’ana a picture.
“Pit-a-what-a who?” she said. “Where did this come from? And most importantly, how do I get rid of it?”
“The cause of Pityriasis Rosea is unknown,” Nurse Jones said, taking a seat at her desk. “The rash usually starts out with a ‘herald patch’ and the small, dark spots appear later. PR is not contagious and usually goes away on its own."
Which statistic below is the best supporting statement for this passage?
Group of answer choices
PR is calculated to occur in .13% of men and .14% of women.
In the U.S., more than 7% of the population suffers from ringworm.
Ointments that are 1% hydrocortisone are available at drug stores.
It is estimated that 15% of people will develop hives at some point.
