Being in college, exams and assignments are enough to make students feel miserable, but with viral gastroenteritis, commonly known as the stomach flu, going through campus, students are faced with the new worry of catching and spreading this irritating stomach bug.

For the last couple weeks, Hamline University has been hit hard by viral gastroenteritis, or the stomach flu. Viral gastroenteritis is a disease that spreads through contact with those who are sick or contact with contaminated food or water and affects the digestive system. Viral gastroenteritis causes nausea, low-grade fever, occasional muscle aches or headache, abdominal cramps or pain vomiting and diarrhea in those infected. This disease is highly contagious, especially in places like universities.

Illustration by Amber Osmonson

“There are a couple factors that make this a good place for a disease to spread: you have people in close proximity to each other and that because the stress levels are high, immune systems are depleted. You could probably say that because of the younger age category, that many students don’t sleep as much or they try to get by on less sleep and that affects your immune system,” said Staff Nurse for the Hamline Counseling and Health Services Jamie Bennett.

Though its commonly know as the stomach flu, viral gastroenteritis should not be confused with influenza, a disease that people are regularly vaccinated against in the fall. Influenza is a disease that affects the respiratory system and causes symptoms similar to the common cold compared to gastroenteritis that affects the digestive system. Another disease that is commonly confused with the “stomach flu” is food poisoning, which presents similar symptoms with vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. However food poisoning symptoms are more violent and short lived compared to the symptoms presented with viral gastroenteritis.

There is no effective treatment for viral gastroenteritis, according to the Mayo Clinic website. This makes prevention very important in limiting the spread of this infection.

“The issue is with the cafeteria, where you have people touching the same spoons and utensils that the infected person used,” said pediatric nurse practitioner Sandy Vajda.

Vajda and Bennett both strongly advised handwashing and the use of sanitizer as a way to avoid getting sick or if a person is already sick, limiting getting others sick. Vajda also stresses the importance of keeping areas clean such as dorm rooms. With rooms, Vajda also stressed, door knobs should be kept especially clean due to the large amount of contact they have with people. Vajda recommends using strong antiseptics such as Lysol or bleach to ensure the area is clean.

For those who are already sick or for those caring for the sick, here are some tips for managing symptoms until the person improves. Due to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, the person who is sick can lose a large amount of fluid. making them prone to dehydration, so while the episodes of vomiting or diarrhea persist, the person should only ingest ice chips or small sips of water. The person should only stick to clear liquids for the next 12-48 hours. These include clear broth, flat soda, or weak tea. The person should avoid any drinks with lots of sugar in it because this might irritate the stomach. When symptoms start to subside, the sick person can try to eat some light foods such as crackers, plain bread, or cereal. A person should not try to eat any fatty, spicy, dairy, or strongly flavored food, because like sugary drinks, these foods could potentially cause the diarrhea or vomiting to recur. Bennett recommends that for the next day after experiencing symptoms that a person should take time to rest and eat to regain energy from calories. If students are more interested in learning more, they can talk to Nurse Bennett to get more information.

Since class attendance becomes a challenging issue while contagious illnesses are spreading around campus, Bennett strongly suggests students should be communicating with faculty members when they are sick, especially first-year students who may not be as comfortable talking with their professors.

“Anytime any student has a question where they’re not sure if they are ok, then they should call us and we’ll either talk to them or have them come in…the visits are free,”Bennett said.

The Hamline Counseling and Health Services are located in the basement of Manor and they can be reached at 651-523-2204 Monday to Friday, from 8:00 A.M. to noon or 1 p.m.to 5 p.m. If a student has questions about their health when the center isn’t open, they can call urgent care centers such as North Memorial Urgent Care at 763-581-9250 or Allina Health Aspen Urgent Care at 651-241-9730. Both places also accept walk-ins.