Meningococcal Infections Hit Penn; Provide Yet Another Reason Why You Should Avoid Penn Like The Plague
There are many reasons to avoid Penn: rapists, child pornographers, murdering professors, greedy Wharton students, etc. Now, to the indubitable chagrin of Penn's administrators and the glee of Columbia's Bwog, there's another: a string of life-threatening meningococcal infections.
On Friday, Director of Student Health Evelyn Wiener sent a university-wide email stating that
a third student has now been hospitalized with a confirmed case of meningococcal infection. As a precaution, and to ensure that all students needing to receive preventative treatment have received it, the University has decided to cancel, through this weekend, and perhaps further as circumstances indicate, all official University and student-sponsored parties. This includes, specifically, all parties, on- or off-campus, sponsored by student groups, all Greek-related parties, all College Housing and housing-affiliated parties, or any other gatherings where significant interaction with food, drink, or intimate contact is likely. Athletic and performing arts events will be held as scheduled.
As we have learned the three hospitalized students had common interaction through the Greek system, we have set up a special clinic for tomorrow, Saturday, February 14, at Student Health Service, 3535 Market Street, beginning at 9am. Those who have attended fraternity or sorority events since February 2, or had close, prolonged contact with anyone who attended any Greek-related events since February 2, should visit the clinic for evaluation and possible preventative treatment.
More after the jump.
According to an article published in today's Daily Pennsylvanian, the three infected students are believed to have contracted meningococcemia, "a bacterial infection within the bloodstream. It is caused by the same bacteria that causes meningitis and often has the same effects." Early symptoms, which "may include fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, stiff neck and sensitivity to bright light", can lead to neurological damage, learning disabilities and paralysis, and finally - surprise, surprise - death.
Though there is no known vaccine for the particular strain the students were infected with, it seems the three have been responding well to antibiotics. The DP reported that one of the students was discharged from the hospital today, and the other two are in the process of moving out of the ICU.
There are no new cases of infection, which seems about right given the fact that over the past weekend the University dispensed preventative antibiotics to a whopping 3,000 students. (That's roughly 30% of the undergrad population at Penn and, for comparison's sake, equivalent to 75% of the total undergrad population at Dartmouth.)
CBS3 reported that sources told the station that "at least two of the students who contracted the disease lived at the Pi Kappa Alpha house at 39th and Spruce Streets", though the University refuses to confirm or deny this. If you know anything more specific be sure to get in contact with us.
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February 17th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
You might as well avoid Cornell too, with its collapsing buildings, like the Hydraulics Lab which collapsed just today:
http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2009/02/17/hydraulic-lab-collapses
ROTFL
February 17th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
It also involves the fencing team, as Dartmouth got a mass blitz saying that anyone who had been to a Greek even at Penn or had close contact with any members of the Penn fencing team in the past few weeks should go to Dick’s House for treatment. Fencing?!
February 17th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
did you guys totally miss the part about how this all spread through the greek system? almost every penn student (and faculty member for that matter…) has spent the entire weekend making jokes about meningitis and all ivygate can do is summarize a few dp articles. i’m disappointed…
February 17th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
whatever. i still like this website.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
whatever. Penn still sucks ass.
February 17th, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Penn is overrated. So is Columbia, but not nearly as much so. Discuss.
February 18th, 2009 at 12:32 am
allegedly the pike kids contracted it after serving drinks out of a bathtub at one of their parties
February 18th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
They’re all overrated, you fucking idiot. Have you been to college yet? For maybe a year they seem like unique, interesting places. The Ivy League is probably worse, because you show up with expectations which are inevitably ruined when you realize that this school, which supposedly only accepts the top students/thinkers in the country and from around the world, is just a money-sucking pit where dreams of super-stardom go to die.
February 18th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
For someone who hearts college, you certainly have a shitty view of it. Talk to most any transfer to an Ivy and they’ll say there is a drastic difference in the intelligence of the average student.
I’m sorry your dreams of super-stardom died…
February 19th, 2009 at 4:11 am
also, measles
February 19th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
Alright this is it, I give up on Ivygate.
February 20th, 2009 at 12:13 am
You guys must’ve been tipped off about this already… but here you go:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29265600/
Skull and Bones get sued…
February 24th, 2009 at 3:18 am
one sophomore guy who is in a frat, as well as on the fencing team, was in critical condition. hence, those connected to either the frat or the fencing team could have had close personal contact with him.