Local Colleges hit with "Norwalk-Type" Virus

[Jon]

On Thursday, NBC 10 reported than more than 150 students at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia are or had been sick recently with what the school initially reported was a stomach virus.

Now, it seems dozens of kids at West Chester University were also recently struck with a similar virus several weeks ago.

"It was horrible, I felt like I was going to throw up … it was not pleasant," said one student there.


Read Whole Article HERE:

http://www.nbc10.com/health/4190487/detail.html

 

[Jon]

The scary part of this is that I was on duty (during a 8-inch "paraylizing" snowstorm) when this happened. Our Co/ took at least 30 students to the hospital. We also saw a few "sick" ETOH overdoses - Guess drinking while puking and not eating because of a cold just don't work well toghether.

We spent the whole day at the U. that day - always picking up patients, usually 2 or 3 at a time. The poor local ED got slammed, because some drove up, too.

This is a nasty bug to hit a large group of young adults.



Jon

 

[Chimpie]

Okay, you have my curiousity peaked here.

When you were responding to the campuses was campus security involved at all?
Was the nursing staff (if the campus is equiped with such) involved?
Were the students that were sick living in dorms?
If so, did you see certain dorms get sick and some not?
Did the colleges cancel classes at all?

In association with this...

How many hospitals are in your area?
If more than one, were the students sent to different ones or were they all contained at one?

 

[MMiz]

I believe this is the same virus we responded to.

We declared an MCI after one pt died and several others were critical.

I believe 15 were transported via ambulance. We had three hospitals we could transport to, and I think 12 went to the closed Level 1 trauma center (just because it was also the largest). The patients were isolated in one of the ED's modules.

Most ended up going home the next day or day after, but I hear it was scary. Crews wore hazmat suits and masks.

Interesting story, thanks for sharing!

 

[Jon]

Originally posted by Chimpie@Feb 13 2005, 05:40 PM
Okay, you have my curiousity peaked here.

When you were responding to the campuses was campus security involved at all?
Was the nursing staff (if the campus is equiped with such) involved?
Were the students that were sick living in dorms?
If so, did you see certain dorms get sick and some not?
Did the colleges cancel classes at all?

In association with this...

How many hospitals are in your area?
If more than one, were the students sent to different ones or were they all contained at one?

The campus has a "health center" with at least a nurse onsite during the day.

The campus also has a QRS (That scratched on EVERY SINGLE CALL)

It wasn't 30 people falling down at once, it was just 30 students throughout the day, at least 15 seprate incidents.

At one point (before I got in) they picked up 9 kids from the heath center, in 3 rigs. We were called for one, updated prior to onscene with 2, onscene with 5, 7 or 10 more decided to go to the ED. At that point, there were 2 rigs there. they called for a 3rd and loaded up the trucks.

Most of the kids were dehydrated, and were better after fluid therapy.

If we had gotten a call for "10 patients" we would have called MCI, but from what I heard, It sounded like two more decided to go, then two more, and so on.

In regards to campus security, they have licensed PD and Public Safety (they guys with radios who collect ID cards at dorm entrances )

The PD was onscene at every call. Twice we got warning of more calls from the PD, and we nextel'ed the other crew to "start heading this way"

It wasn't 50 kids at once, it was 50 kids over 2 or 3 days. 25 or more on Saterday, then trickeling down.

It was a busy weekend, and worse because of the weather, but we got through it ok.

In fact, no one thought "epedemic" - we all thought it was a stomach bug going around. Didn't think "Norwalk" but makes sense.


Jon

 

[Chimpie]

I understand that it was not 50 at once. Campus safety and security is an interest of mine and I was just curious on how it all happened.

What type of QRS does the campus have?

 

[Jon]

Originally posted by Chimpie@Feb 14 2005, 12:39 AM
I understand that it was not 50 at once. Campus safety and security is an interest of mine and I was just curious on how it all happened.

What type of QRS does the campus have?

Student-run. 1998 Ford Explorer, meets PA regs. sometimes it gets out, sometimes it don't.



Jon