McCosh

Amid a campus-wide outbreak of gastroenteritis that has affected at least 243 students — nearly 5 percent of the student body — McCosh Health Center returned to normal operations on Saturday evening after temporarily redirecting patients to the University Medical Center at Princeton. Meanwhile, the University defended its decision at the end of last week not to inform the student body that the health center was diverting patients to UMCP.

In the midst of a campus-wide gastroenteritis outbreak, McCosh Health Center is diverting patients to the University Medical Center at Princeton due to a lack of available beds at McCosh, the Department of Public Safety confirmed late Thursday night.

“All the beds are full” at McCosh, said Public Safety Sgt. Rob Adams, adding that students requiring transport are being taken to UMCP until further notice.

 

An unusually severe outbreak of gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu, struck the University community at the beginning of Intersession and continues to plague the campus a week later.

The particular 50 hours offered by McCosh tend to fall at times inconvenient for a student schedule, which is unfortunate given that McCosh’s services are aimed primarily at students. Consequently, we urge the University to adjust them.

Eleven students required medical transports this past weekend for excessive alcohol consumption. Between Friday morning and Sunday morning, Public Safety confirmed, three students were taken to McCosh Health Center and eight to the University Medical Center at Princeton. These numbers represent a significant increase from those of the corresponding weekend last year.