2008 Woodie Awards
Dirty hands
Daliah Singer
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: News
At last count, 95 students contracted a stomach virus when they came in contact with contaminated surfaces,
"It comes from dirty hands," was the verdict.
Dr. Sam Alexander, executive director of University Health and Counseling Services, said hands coming in contact with contaminated surfaces were the cause of an outbreak of Norovirus that has afflicted 95 students since April 13.
The number of students reporting the virus is on a steady decline, however, with only two new cases being reported since Sunday evening.
Denver Health Department officials declared the campus safe on Wednesday after determining that Norovirus, a virus that causes stomach flu, vomiting and diarrhea, was to blame for students ailments.
University Communications started sending out warning e-mails to the university community Tuesday morning, but by then over 30 students were already sick.
The virus reared its head April 13 evening when calls began pouring in to the on-call physician who works from Porter Hospital. Students were advised to go the emergency room. When Alexander opened the door to the health center Monday morning, six students were already standing by the door.
"It's not uncommon in closed communities like college campuses," said Alexander of the virus' quick spread.
Initially, many students believed they had come down with food poisoning after eating in the cafeteria at Centennial Halls.
"I really felt that I had food poisoning. My stomach felt bloated, and my intestines were burning," said Read Trammel, a freshman living in Halls.
Trammel began feeling sick Wednesday afternoon, but says he felt better by the weekend after spending the weekend recuperating at home. "I guess I'm one of the lucky ones," he said. "There were six people on my floor who got the Norovirus."
Another Halls resident, Lauren Golder, said she felt "nauseous and crampy and just wanted to curl up in a corner" when she started feeling symptoms on Wednesday afternoon. Golder called her case "mild" but said on Friday that she was still unable to eat much.
"It comes from dirty hands," was the verdict.
Dr. Sam Alexander, executive director of University Health and Counseling Services, said hands coming in contact with contaminated surfaces were the cause of an outbreak of Norovirus that has afflicted 95 students since April 13.
The number of students reporting the virus is on a steady decline, however, with only two new cases being reported since Sunday evening.
Denver Health Department officials declared the campus safe on Wednesday after determining that Norovirus, a virus that causes stomach flu, vomiting and diarrhea, was to blame for students ailments.
University Communications started sending out warning e-mails to the university community Tuesday morning, but by then over 30 students were already sick.
The virus reared its head April 13 evening when calls began pouring in to the on-call physician who works from Porter Hospital. Students were advised to go the emergency room. When Alexander opened the door to the health center Monday morning, six students were already standing by the door.
"It's not uncommon in closed communities like college campuses," said Alexander of the virus' quick spread.
Initially, many students believed they had come down with food poisoning after eating in the cafeteria at Centennial Halls.
"I really felt that I had food poisoning. My stomach felt bloated, and my intestines were burning," said Read Trammel, a freshman living in Halls.
Trammel began feeling sick Wednesday afternoon, but says he felt better by the weekend after spending the weekend recuperating at home. "I guess I'm one of the lucky ones," he said. "There were six people on my floor who got the Norovirus."
Another Halls resident, Lauren Golder, said she felt "nauseous and crampy and just wanted to curl up in a corner" when she started feeling symptoms on Wednesday afternoon. Golder called her case "mild" but said on Friday that she was still unable to eat much.
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