Ursinus sick toll creeps higher
The number of students sickened by a stomach virus at Ursinus College inched higher Friday, as school workers continued to sanitize and disinfect its buildings.
The number of students sickened by a stomach virus at Ursinus College inched higher Friday, as school workers continued to sanitize and disinfect its buildings.
School officials said 192 students had been stricken as of Friday morning, up from 185 the night before. A handful of faculty and staff members also have reported symptoms of the gastrointestinal illness that first surfaced on the Collegeville campus Tuesday night.
But most were on the mend.
The Montgomery County Health Department continues to search for the origin of the virus, which typically lasts between 12 and 24 hours. Officials have cautioned that they may not pinpoint a cause for at least a week, until test results come back.
Department officials are testing and interviewing students, county spokeswoman Jessica Willingham said, but not looking beyond the campus. "The focus is on the college, because it's a cluster that they investigate," she said.
Ursinus administrators canceled Friday classes and weekend activities, including sports games and an alumni event. Classes will resume Monday, after a weekend of extra cleaning.
Some students will remain on campus through the weekend.
Free-standing hand-sanitizer stations will be installed at the entrance to every public building, the school said Friday.
The dining hall, where most of the 1,650 students typically eat, had been cleared to reopen Thursday evening.
610-313-8116
@Lmccrystal