Possible Salmonella/Food issues on Campus?

[hoyaguy]

According to some grad and undergrad students I know, they got an email about how a whole bunch of students are in the hospital and the common factor among them is eating on-campus food, it is a situation that continues to grow and apparently the level of care given to the students who seek it at the medical center is low quality. There has been a fairly large outbreak of salmonella in numerous states that may be connected but as of now they have no clue. And it is even more of a shame that they forced everyone on campus even in places with personal kitchens to get a meal plan and eat their food (friend found a bug in his salad last week and another student found a piece of plastic in the food that he luckily didn't eat). More articles probably from the student papers to follow 

www.foodsafetynews.com/2021/09/georgetown-university-reports-outbreak-among-students-source-unknown/ 

[RusskyHoya]

[Filo]

Have a sophomore on campus. Some of the complaining / blaming GU has risen to absurd levels. For example, excruciatingly long waits at the Hospital ER are completely out of the university's control.

To me the worst optics are alluded to in the initial post -- forcing every student who is on campus to be on the meal plan created a great deal of anger to begin with. Then dining was badly mismanaged, at least in the beginning - long lines, running out of food, etc. Now this, which may not have been something that could have been controlled or prevented, but there is a lot of resentment out there, so the university is no longer getting the benefit of the doubt.

[hoyaguy]

Sept 23, 2021 9:23:32 GMT -5 Filo said:

Have a sophomore on campus. Some of the complaining / blaming GU has risen to absurd levels. For example, excruciatingly long waits at the Hospital ER are completely out of the university's control.

To me the worst optics are alluded to in the initial post -- forcing every student who is on campus to be on the meal plan created a great deal of anger to begin with. Then dining was badly mismanaged, at least in the beginning - long lines, running out of food, etc. Now this, which may not have been something that could have been controlled or prevented, but there is a lot of resentment out there, so the university is no longer getting the benefit of the doubt.

Very true as anyone I know that still attends is all complaints and blame but forcing everyone on a meal plan was just a disaster waiting to happen like they cut down the open hours of dining halls which literally forced more people to eat at the same time. There is a lot of bad blood right now after the covid year and everything that entailed so they won’t get the benefit of the doubt for a long time with this group

[njhoya78]

If I recall properly, similar issues appeared on campus during my freshman or sophomore year around Thanksgiving, back when Macke was still doing the catering. I don't recall the exact number of cases, but Macke claimed that it was all due to one tainted turkey breast...which was unlikely, based upon the sheer volume of cases.

[DFW HOYA]

Sept 23, 2021 14:31:43 GMT -5 njhoya78 said:

If I recall properly, similar issues appeared on campus during my freshman or sophomore year around Thanksgiving, back when Macke was still doing the catering. I don't recall the exact number of cases, but Macke claimed that it was all due to one tainted turkey breast...which was unlikely, based upon the sheer volume of cases.

Macke was before my time, but I did a little reading up on the company, which was run by two SFS grads. Macke had a commanding market share of the DC institutional food service business but it must still have been a difficult conversation when Georgetown dropped them for Marriott in 1979. (Macke was then the victim of a hostile takeover by Allegheny Beverages, the Baltimore distributor for Pepsi, and Allegheny went out of business five years later.)

Marriott and Georgetown were joined at the hip for the next 20 years, and Marriott went so far as to keep Georgetown under its direct management when it spun off the rest of the institutional business to Sodexho. But food service deals never last, people get unhappy, and then Georgetown pulled the cafeteria, Leavey Center, and hotel contracts from Marriott to go to Aramark.

Now, Aramark's in the hot seat and some are not particularly happy with them running cafeteria, Leavey, or the hotel. The problem is that Aramark and Sodexho are two of the three main players in university food service and Sodexho's reputation isn't any better. There's a lot of money in food service but a third party contractor also reduces institutional risk such as, well, salmonella. It's easier for schools to farm this out than take on the P&L, inventory, hiring/firing, etc. themselves. (Harvard is an exception, with revenues of $70 million a year just from food service, but it's an outlier.)

No easy answers, here, especially with a somewhat pampered college age community that wants artisinal charucuteries and five different kinds of vegan options when their parents' generation was happy getting "cheeseburger night" on Wednesdays at Marty's instead of another round of baloney sandwiches.

[Filo]

Kinda suspected norovirus...


Dear Members of the Georgetown Community:

As you know, since Tuesday, September 21, we have been investigating a gastrointestinal illness that has impacted numerous members of our community. This afternoon, testing from two samples revealed that the illness was caused by norovirus, which can spread from person to person. We are waiting for the results of additional samples.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), norovirus can spread “if you eat food or drink liquids that are contaminated with the norovirus, touch surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then put your fingers in your mouth, or have direct contact with someone who is infected with norovirus.”

If you have symptoms, please limit your exposure with other individuals for 48 hours following the end of your symptoms. This will help prevent person-to-person spread of the virus and ensure the safety of our community.

While we have seen a marked decrease in severe cases from earlier this week, we have had more than 90 students report symptoms that could be consistent with norovirus. Fewer than 15 were transported to area emergency departments, and a smaller subset of those individuals received IV rehydration. No students required hospitalization.

We are continuing to take appropriate steps to respond to the needs of our community and to prevent the spread of the virus. We are in regular contact with DC Health and continue to follow its guidance. Following a visit from DC Health, we have determined that campus dining locations, including Leo O’Donovan Hall, can safely remain open.

Some immediate measures we are taking include:
• Additional increased cleaning and disinfection of high-touch areas in residence halls, dining spaces, libraries, academic buildings, Yates Field House and all other University spaces.
• Starting tonight the Office of Planning and Facilities Management will begin deep cleaning and sanitizing of rooms of affected individuals and all common or shared spaces in on campus residential facilities.

Norovirus is a highly contagious group of viruses that cause symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps. Individuals may also have low-grade fever, chills, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. A person usually develops symptoms 12 to 48 hours after being exposed to norovirus. Most people with norovirus illness get better within 1 to 3 days. A fact sheet on norovirus is available on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.
• Follow CDC guidelines, including staying hydrated and practicing good hand hygiene, washing with soap and water frequently or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• If you are unwell, please stay home and do not attend class or arrive for work. Please report any symptoms via the GU360 Daily Health Attestation. Students do not need a doctor’s note for a medical-related class absence. Please be in touch with your faculty instructor to receive instructions for a missed class.
• If you are experiencing symptoms of severe stomach pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, please seek medical treatment.
o Students can contact the Student Health Center at 202-687-2200 from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 25. For emergencies after hours, students can reach an on-call Student Health Center clinician via instructions at the same number.
o If students or families have a question or concern they can contact the Division of Student Affairs at [e-mail].
o Faculty or staff experiencing symptoms should contact your health care provider or seek immediate treatment. Please also contact the public health team at [e-mail] and your supervisor.

Even if you do not currently have symptoms, we advise students to limit social gatherings where norovirus could spread. If you do gather, please take responsibility for your own health and the health of others by practicing strict hand hygiene and maintaining adequate distance.

We will continue to provide additional updates on our public health incident webpage. We recognize this news is distressing and we urge you to seek out resources to ensure your emotional and mental well-being. Working together we can ensure the health and safety of our community.

Sincerely,

Ranit Mishori, M.D., MHS, FAAFP
Professor of Family Medicine, Vice President and Chief Public Health Officer

[DanMcQ]

Yes, made sense and thus not likely the “fault” of the much maligned food vendor.

[Elvado]

Sept 24, 2021 20:54:27 GMT -5 DanMcQ said:

Yes, made sense and thus not likely the “fault” of the much maligned food vendor.

What no boogeyman?

What good is a story without someone to blame?

[RusskyHoya]

Maybe the salmonella is coming from all the eggings?

[HoyaNyr320]

www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/09/27/noroavirus-georgetown-students-sick

[C86]

I remember a similar outbreak during the mid-80s that was centered on Darnall. Although in those unenlightened times the illness was called the Darnall Death, it sure sounds like norovirus.

[hoyaguy]

New development in just general student life based on a raging explanation from a student lol, the university sent out an email last week saying that due to the various outbreaks (flu norovirus and covid) if you feel sick, stay home and no need to get a note. Now they have flipped the script today in an email that basically says they have to come to to class as they “asked” the instructors to try to accommodate but they have no real obligation to do so and students shouldn’t expect to be able to participate via zoom or get asynchronous work any time they are out. Which has in turn enraged much the student pop and many have and will continue to attend class despite any feeling sick out of fear of getting in trouble or facing academic issues