Now that we are several months into the school year I am sure all of us have come in contact with the illness widely referred to as the “first year plague.” It begins slowly, as a tickle at the back of one’s throat, but soon progresses to what sounds like a moderate flu paired with a viral bronchitis. The cough allows no respite, filling both crowded exam halls and dormitories in the early hours of the morning. The illness is lengthy, appearing to take several weeks to run its course, although this may be exacerbated by the fact that many ill students continue with their daily routines as if perfectly healthy. Not only does this practice spread the disease, but the cough also serves as a distraction to everyone else.
Given that this outbreak of illness occurs every year, certain measures should be put in place to mitigate its effects. For example, greater sanitization techniques should be instituted by the administration and executed by the custodial staff. This should include sterilization of areas that come into contact with many people, such as doorknobs and elevator buttons. Rather than wiping these and other communal areas with loosely diluted cleaning fluid and dirty rags, single use Clorox wipes could be used. In addition, cafeteria staff should be urged to sanitize their workspace and change gloves more frequently, and perhaps card swipers could sanitize hands intermittently as well.
On the student end, we should provide greater education regarding personal health. For many students college is the first time their illnesses, and health in general, have not been micromanaged by their parents. Although the school admirably provides significant education regarding assault and alcohol abuse, it would be prudent to also include information about illness prevention, given that disease spreads very quickly in close quarters and greatly affects the academic performance. Education measures could include instruction in proper hand washing technique, as well as a general reminder to cough and sneeze into the crook of one’s elbow. It is the sum of these small actions that deters the spread of airborne viral infections.
Hand sanitizer should also be made more available to students, and students should be reminded to use it periodically throughout the day. In particular, there should be expanded access to hand sanitizer within the dining halls, because for maximum effectiveness sanitizer should be used immediately before eating. Finally, students should be encouraged to stay home if they are ill, rather than coming to class and infecting the rest of the school. Understandably, it is difficult to miss material, and many students fear their future performances will suffer. However, I believe these fears could and should be assuaged by an understanding administration that views student health as paramount.
Given the viral nature of the illness, simple protocols could go a long way in stopping its spread. They are also not exceptionally burdensome or difficult to institute. I would not urge that this information be transmitted using an electronic medium. Instead, it could be briefly incorporated into one of the hall meetings that already take place at the start of each school year. Many of these meetings stress the importance of community and looking out for one another; preventing the spread of illness is simply another facet of this ideal. In addition, flyers could be hung in visible areas such as dining halls and dormitories to serve as a gentle reminder to students, especially in the first months of school when they are most vulnerable. This all would go a long way to creating a healthier school.
Elizabeth Levit is a first-year in the College. She is a member of the Student Council Health and Wellness Committee.
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