The Villanovan

Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: News

Members of VEMS prepare an ambulance to leave on a call responding to a case of norovirus.

A common form of gastroenteritis known as the "norovirus" or "norwalk-like virus" has infected over 100 members of Villanova's community throughout the past week, resulting in an overwhelming number of student absences and hospital visits.

With symptoms that include vomiting, stomach pain, dehydration and even spells of unconsciousness, this disease has been especially prevalent among students living in the close quarters of residence halls.

In these close conditions, students have a difficult time avoiding the contagiousness of the disease.

Kaitlin Ryan, captain of Villanova EMS, reported that while the number of students calling for help has dwindled, it can be hard to tell exactly how many people have been infected.

"The worst night was when we had 18 calls, and 15 of those were virus-related," Ryan said. "We had to ask Radnor [Fire Company] to help us transfer people to the hospital."

According to Ryan, the peak of the calls occurred on Jan. 22. These calls were made mostly by members of the freshman and sophomore classes.

However, she said she has noticed that the virus has begun to spread to other parts of campus, such as West Campus residence halls.

"The number of calls has certainly dwindled," Ryan said. "We are now dealing with about two calls a night."

According to a local ABC Channel 6 Action News report, most of the 100-plus students that are believed to have been infected have been able to treat this virus on their own.

However, without visiting the Student Health Center or local medical facilities, the exact number of students affected by the norovirus is uncertain.

"I really can't give a specific number of people that have been affected," Ryan said. " A lot of people don't go to seek help, so it's difficult to tell how many have been infected with the virus."

Another major problem that students have faced involves the fact that nobody has been sure as to what prevention measures should be taken in order to stop the spread of the disease because no information was made readily available to the student body until a week after the outbreaks began.

Dr. Mary McGonigle, director of the Student Health Center, e-mailed the Villanova community yesterday, summarizing the virus' impact and ways to prevent it.

Continued...

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