University Handled Virus Remarkably Well

By: Editorial Board

Posted: 4/8/08

Last week 30 students were treated at UConn Heath Services after contracting norovirus at a sorority formal held the previous weekend at a Manchester restaurant. The university acted very responsibly by telling students not to tell people where they had eaten Saturday or what illness they thought they had, until the Manchester Health Department was able to properly diagnosis the illness.

The university made the right decision when it worked with the Heath Department to investigate the bizarre case of a large number of students vomiting and having diarrhea within the same time period. It was undoubtedly frustrating for the infected students to not know what was wrong with them for a few days, but it was of larger importance that they receive the proper diagnosis and instructions on how to deal with the virus.

By telling students to keep the information about their illness quiet, the university prevented a campus-wide panic, the rumor of a contagious virus spreading on-campus would have caused. Most of the students adhered to the university's recommendations and refused to talk about their illness when prompted by friends and the media.

Once the Manchester Heath Department confirmed that the virus was highly contagious, the university went into overdrive - releasing information to the press and taking immediate actions to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Since norovirus can be contracted through touching a contaminated surface, the university made efforts to kill the virus and prevent it from spreading by switching from a non-bleach-based cleaner to a bleach-based cleaner in residential and academic buildings, bathrooms and dining areas. Some students experienced frustration when Bookworms and the Student Union food court were closed Thursday for cleaning, but this was necessary to maintain the heath and safety of students.

The university also took additional steps to ensure the disease did not continue to spread. As of Thursday afternoon, all Dining Service personnel were questioned before the start of their shifts to see if they had any symptoms of the virus. If someone admitted to feeling nauseous, he or she was instructed to go home and not return to work until 72 hours after his or her symptoms were gone.

Most people infected with norovirus are contagious until at least three days after their recovery, which takes between one and two days, according to the CDC Web site. But some people can be contagious for up to two weeks after they stop showing symptoms.

That said, knowledge of the effects of the disease on campus would have caused an unnecessary panic. The university administration did a good job of keeping the situation under control at all times.