H1N1 likely on campus
By: Peter Wright, Managing Editor
Issue date: 9/18/09 Section: News
H1N1, popularly known as Swine Flu, is very likely sweeping across the Macalester campus right now, infecting students and employees alike.
As of Tuesday afternoon, less than twelve people from Macalester were infected, according to Laurie Hamre, vice president for Student Affairs. Of those one was a faculty member, one was staff and the rest were students.
Hamre said an exact number is hard to determine because not everyone reports being sick, and the level of infections changes everyday.
"The number is kind of a moving target," she said.
History professor Andrea Cremer is the faculty member in that count. Cremer said she realized she was sick at the beginning of the school year when she started having body aches.
"I had extreme pain in my knee and ankle joints," she said in an email, "pain so severe that it woke me up [at] night and made walking difficult."
Aside from the pain, Cremer said she had extreme fatigue and a bit of a cough and sore throat. After a visit to the doctor that revealed a high-grade fever, Cremer said she was "told to go home, stay away from the rest of the world, and take lots of Tylenol."
"Fortunately my fever broke and I'm on the road to recovery now," she said, "but it was about 10 days of misery."
Cremer said that she usually gets the seasonal flu about once a year, but this flu was worse than anything she's ever had.
"With H1N1 I didn't have the energy to do anything, and my body hurt so much," she said.
Elizabeth Balskus '11 spent about four days quarantined in her room after she visited Health Services with flu-like symptoms.
"It felt like my eyes were boiling inside my face," Balskus said.
She said when she started telling her symptoms to the nurse on duty, they rushed her out the door with a flu kit and Ibuprofen.
Health Services Medical Director Dr. Steph Walters said the clinic is actually the last place people with H1N1 should be going.
As of Tuesday afternoon, less than twelve people from Macalester were infected, according to Laurie Hamre, vice president for Student Affairs. Of those one was a faculty member, one was staff and the rest were students.
Hamre said an exact number is hard to determine because not everyone reports being sick, and the level of infections changes everyday.
"The number is kind of a moving target," she said.
History professor Andrea Cremer is the faculty member in that count. Cremer said she realized she was sick at the beginning of the school year when she started having body aches.
"I had extreme pain in my knee and ankle joints," she said in an email, "pain so severe that it woke me up [at] night and made walking difficult."
Aside from the pain, Cremer said she had extreme fatigue and a bit of a cough and sore throat. After a visit to the doctor that revealed a high-grade fever, Cremer said she was "told to go home, stay away from the rest of the world, and take lots of Tylenol."
"Fortunately my fever broke and I'm on the road to recovery now," she said, "but it was about 10 days of misery."
Cremer said that she usually gets the seasonal flu about once a year, but this flu was worse than anything she's ever had.
"With H1N1 I didn't have the energy to do anything, and my body hurt so much," she said.
Elizabeth Balskus '11 spent about four days quarantined in her room after she visited Health Services with flu-like symptoms.
"It felt like my eyes were boiling inside my face," Balskus said.
She said when she started telling her symptoms to the nurse on duty, they rushed her out the door with a flu kit and Ibuprofen.
Health Services Medical Director Dr. Steph Walters said the clinic is actually the last place people with H1N1 should be going.
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