MRSA Notes

Imagine this - same story, different school. Two more students at Bowdoin College in Maine were diagnosed with MRSA this week, and the school has reacted:

The diagnosis of the first student with the infection, a member of the football team, led to the closing of several athletic facilities for cleaning, including part of Farley Field House for half a day and the Morrell Gymnasium weight room from August 31 to September 5.
[...]
“Every place he’d been we had a cleaning service come in and disinfect,” said Ward. The team members’ rooms have been cleaned, all fall athletes’ uniforms were washed, football pads were sent out to a special cleaning facility and all footballs were thrown away, he added.

Again, I have to say, the time to have cleaned the athletic facilities was BEFORE the students arrived. I hope the schools are seeing the big picture here. Also, I understand that the school is trying to prevent a panic, but the way to do that is through educating their students rather than the way they are attempting to minimize the risks. Check this out:

The reason for the closures was not posted, because “we were trying not to spread panic,” said Director of Athletics Jeff Ward. “It’s really possible for people to overreact in situations like this.”
[...]

“One of the things you have to do in athletics is be adaptable,” he said. “We worked really hard to make this have as little consequence as possible, and I think we’ve done that. It’s more of a nuisance than a danger.”

Tell that to my friends Francine Jackson and Theresa Drew and see what they say. MRSA is a huge danger, most especially this community associated strain that is appearing in athletes. To minimize its danger is to put yourself at risk. Thankfully, they end the article with some hope that they are going to continue their newfound awareness of MRSA and diligence in keeping it out of their faciities.

According to Benson, information on staph will be included in a personal hygiene and wellness campaign by the health center and Residential Life.

Murphy said the team has already become more careful.

“Overall we are just more cautious than we have been in the past and we are more aware of infection and the signs so if anything does spring up, we know to report it to our trainer and let him take the proper steps,” he said.

Source: Bowdoin Orient

Awareness, Bowdoin College, CA MRSA, Education, Infection Prevention, Maine, MRSA, MRSA in Schools/Athletics, MRSA in the U.S.

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