Friday afternoon, USC students that were signed up with USC's TrojanAlert System (something I encourage ALL Trojans to register with) received text messages and emails regarding a mystery gastrointestinal virus. It very nicely said that about 30 students had been hit with a mystery stomach virus that was self-limiting, caused an array of symptoms I'd rather not discuss, and was highly contagious. It, as always, also warned us to be careful.

Apparently, we weren't careful enough.

Sunday evening, all students received an email from USC's Department of Safety, warning us that the number had exploded:

About 130 USC students have fallen sick with a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus. The sickness is suspected to be a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus... The sickness usually has an incubation period of 24- to 48 hours, but may be as short as 12 hours.

In most people, the illness is self-limiting, usually lasting one- to two days. Although we are not  recommending a full-scale quarantine, those students who feel sick, are vomiting, and cannot hold foods and liquids down are asked to report to the USC University Park Student Health Center...

Apparently the story is big news, since even major news outlets are reporting it. Turns out, the number of students has, in public eye, turned this thing into a full scale epidemic. Some parents and students were saying classes should be cancelled, and the lines out the student health center are winding down the street with students not only sick with the virus, but paranoid that they WILL get sick with the virus. Fortunately, however, it turns out that the virus was NOT spread by food as previously thought:

As news of the sickness first spread, an e-mail was sent to USC students that said the virus was being spread at the "Everybody's Kitchen" cafeteria, Grant said. "We have learned that this is a virus that has no food component, and the students who got sick had eaten all over on and off the campus," the USC spokesman said.

 

The closing of the cafeteria Friday night "was an unfortunate overreaction by some well-meaning campus security people, who thought they were doing what was needed," Grant said.

 

 As someone that has gotten sick from a USC cafeteria, I know personally that they weren't wrong to be concerned, but several stomach viruses have been spreading on campuses across the country, like Georgetown.

Ok, Trojans, as fall approaches (at least, it's SUPPOSED to...), so does flu season, cold season, and apparently gastrointestinal virus season. So wash your hands, keep yourself clean, and watch yourself out there, dammit.