By Alexei Summers (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 25, 2012
A Canadian University Press student journalism conference in Victoria became a waking nightmare for students on Saturday January 14, when a large number of student delegates in attendance fell ill from an outbreak of Norovirus. Sickness quickly overtook delegates from the various academic student newspapers from around the country, all of whom were lodged in the Harbour Towers Hotel in Victoria.
The outbreak occurred shortly after dinner and lasted well into the night. The hotel lobby was in a state of rushed panic on early Sunday morning as students who had not yet been infected with the virus scrambled to pack their belongings and flee the hotel, leaving their sickly counterparts behind.
While not deadly to persons with healthy immune systems, Norovirus, formerly referred to as Norwalk Virus, can prove fatal in persons with compromised immune systems, such as the elderly or ill. The Canadian University Press (CUP) staff made efforts to contain the virus, and students remaining at the hotel took to voluntarily quarantine. Some students and conference speakers required hospitalization from serious dehydration and lack of nutrition.
The night of January 14th was supposed to be a night of light frivolity, and fun for the students as they were ushered into buses taking them to the University of Victoria campus across the city where they were to attend a gala event celebrating another successful year of student journalism. The event was ended early when some began to exhibit symptoms of the virus and students began vomiting in the poorly-ventilated buses, causing further spread of the virus.
Immediately following the outbreak, users of Twitter began to post about the rapidly spreading illness, inciting panic among hotel guests. Soon major news media outlets were tipped off to the wave of illness that was washing over the student journalists. The actual number of infected has risen significantly in past days. Originally it was reported that only 30 students were sick. Now it is being reported that the number might be closer to 75.
All of the student journalists have now headed home to their various cities across the country, spreading concern that they have taken the virus with them. Some airlines initially refused to allow the students to fly, and as such the students were quarantined in the hotel until the airlines decided it was safe for them to travel. The Harbour Towers Hotel allowed the remaining students to stay in the hotel for free until they were able to leave.
An investigation of the incident is being launched. So far it has been determined by Vancouver Island Health Authority (VIHA) that the food at the hotel was not to blame for the outbreak. VIHA has issued an influenza information brochure that is available online pointing out that Norovirus is still contagious within 48 hours of the host’s final symptoms. VIHA also urged those who have come in contact with norovirus to wash their hands with soap and hot water often to reduce possible spreading the virus.
There were 15 members of the University of the Fraser Valley in attendance at the conference, representing The Cascade. Four members of the group fell ill with the virus within the first night, and an additional two members became sick a few days afterward. Everyone involved has since fully recovered.
