Norovirus Spreads Across PEA Campus
Each of Amen Hall’s third-floor sinks and showers have been designated to specific students as a part of upper Morgan LeBrun’s initiative to prevent the circulation of norovirus. The highly contagious gastrointestinal disease lasts anywhere from 24 to 48 hours and is presumed responsible for sending more than four dozen Exonians to the Lamont Health and Wellness Center this month, causing the school to temporarily disallow fatigues and cancel Evening Prayer on Feb. 8.
While many have labeled their illnesses as norovirus, Medical Director Katharina Lilly clarified that this may not be the case. “We have not done the laboratory testing for norovirus, but suspect this is the virus causing these illnesses … based on the symptoms and number of cases we are seeing,” she said.
According to Lilly, many Exonians have contracted symptoms of the illness, which include fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and fatigue. While these symptoms can be highly uncomfortable, they are treatable in the Academy’s facilities. “We have not seen anyone with symptoms severe enough to require any treatment beyond what we can give at the Lamont Health and Wellness Center,” Lilly said.
Exonians have experienced a range of cases, some more serious than others, over the last few weeks. Lower James McKenna contracted a particularly severe case and was sent home for four days. “I was up at four in the morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I threw up four times from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m.,” he said. “I was so nauseous and dehydrated that it was hard for me to stand up, let alone walk to the elevator in order to get to my room.”
The fast and demanding pace of life at Exeter has posed additional challenges for students coping with the illness. “I had to miss a seven-hour musical tech rehearsal and a capella,” lower Addison Luce said. “I took many naps in between studying for a chem quiz, but I could only study for ten minutes at a time because my brain felt like mush.”
Fortunately, many teachers were sympathetic and accommodated sick students with extensions and additional academic help. “The work took a while to catch up on, but most of my teachers were really understanding because there were so many other kids who were sick as well,” lower Annie Shin said.
When students experience virus symptoms, many are rushed to the health center for treatment. “Each student is evaluated by a medical professional and monitored for dehydration and worsening symptoms,” Lilly said, describing the treatment procedure. “We can prescribe anti-nausea medicine that can help reduce discomfort from symptoms. [The health center] ensures students are getting appropriate care and monitoring and that the virus is not being spread inadvertently to others in dorms and dining halls.”
While some students, like Shin, remained in the health center for days, others, including Luce, were advised to stay in their rooms so the virus could run its course. “I called them and they told me that norovirus typically lasts a day, and, if I was comfortable in my room, that I could stay there,” Luce said.
According to Lilly, the prevalence of the virus on campus is predominantly due to Exeter’s communal residential environment. “Schools, childcare centers and nursing homes are more likely to see illness like this because of the shared spaces in which we live and work,” she said.
The health center has been collaborating with Facilities Management and Dining Services to improve sanitation and minimize the number of cases contracted. “We communicated to ensure that we were using appropriate cleaning solutions that would kill the suspected norovirus and that we were paying close attention to cleaning spaces known to harbor viruses like doorknobs, dining spaces and bathroom facilities,” she said.
Other members of the community, like LeBrun, have begun initiatives of their own to prevent the virus from spreading.
Aside from compartmentalizing dorm bathrooms, LeBrun also encouraged her dormmates to develop other hygiene practices, including hand-washing with hot water for the duration of the ABC song, opening doors with elbows or forearms, bleaching all infected areas and only using restrooms on one’s own floor. “The majority of people on my floor had expressed concerns about norovirus,” LeBrun said. “So I decided that’s what we can do, we should do. The bathroom is the number one place to contract illness, so we have split the facilities up between the third floor residents to minimize our exposure.”
Senior and Amen proctor Selin Ferhangil feels that LeBrun’s protocol has positively impacted Amen. “I appreciate Morgan’s initiative because we all want to stay healthy,” she said. “So the fact that she took the time to print posters and designate certain areas to preserve our health is really appreciated in Amen.”
Lilly agreed with many of LeBrun’s recommendations, concluding that the best way to stop the spread of norovirus is to always ask for help. “Come to the Health Center if you are sick; this is the best way to get appropriate care and monitoring while preventing the spread of illness to other.”