Of all the places for a college student to expect to get mono, the university cafeteria might not be high up on people’s list. Unfortunately for Samford students, rumors say that is likely the source.
A recent mono outbreak plaguing Samford University’s campus has left students ill, struggling to make it through the day while dealing with symptoms.
Dr. Elle McGregor, Samford Health Services’ medical director, says that the campus is seeing a slightly above average number of students with mono currently. According to McGregor, on-campus MedHelp has seen about eight students with mono within the past month.
Along with mono, a rumor has spread that students who have gone to MedHelp to be treated have been told they may have contracted the infection from the Caf itself.
Junior Lillian Henry was diagnosed with mono on March 12. She is unsure where she contracted it from – all she knows is that she ate at the Caf two times in the month prior, which is something she doesn’t normally do.
This information tracks with what McGregor explained about the virus.
“Once you get exposed to the virus, the average time from exposure to when you develop symptoms is four to eight weeks – that’s one to two full months,” said McGregor.
Henry was appalled upon finding out about the rumors. She was not tested at Samford MedHelp, so she was not aware of the possible Caf exposure accusations, seeing as the university has not put out any statements at this time.
“That is in no way a student’s fault,” said Henry. “It’s supposed to be the university’s responsibility to keep us healthy and safe.”
These accusations come after a semester of celebration for the university’s dining hall. A break-neck summer of renovations brought about a beautifully redesigned Caf in fall of 2023.
“I couldn’t care less about the way the Caf looks if they’re not taking basic health precautions,” said Henry.
Samford requires undergraduates who live on campus (which is about 62% of the undergraduate population right now) to have a meal plan. With these rumors, students have become concerned about what their money is going towards.
“For students where it’s their main option, the bare minimum for Samford to do is to make sure the food is safe to eat,” said Henry.
Faculty members at Samford Dining did not respond to the Crimson’s inquiries for an interview. However, Thomas Varytimidis, general manager of Samford Dining, submitted a comment as a response.
“Samford University’s Health Clinic and Samford Dining would like to reassure the campus community that there is not an outbreak of mononucleosis on campus, and additionally that the sanitizing procedures for utensils and serving ware prevent pathogens from being spread in the dining hall,” said Varytimidis.
McGregor denied that Samford Health Services had a conversation with anyone from Samford Dining about the spread of mono the morning that this statement was sent to the Crimson.
“No, they [Samford Dining] have not [talked to us],” said McGregor. “I think it must be a misunderstanding. I’m not sure where it’s coming from specifically.”
Additionally, McGregor said that no one at Samford Health Services would have told patients that they contracted mono from the Caf.
“That definitely didn’t come from the providers,” said McGregor. “We wouldn’t have shared that information because that would not be consistent with our understanding of the disease.”
However, student Katie Gingrich was told the opposite.
“They (Samford Health Services nurses) were like, ‘Yeah, we think it’s the Caf. A lot of people who have eaten in the Caf have tested positive,’” Gingrich said.
Gingrich tested positive for mono Friday, March 1 at Samford MedHelp. She was asymptomatic but decided to test anyway because her entire friend group had contracted the infection after eating at the Caf.
“My roommate and a lot of girls in the dorm (Orlean) basically eat in the Caf daily,” Gingrich said.
Gingrich began showing symptoms a few days after being diagnosed.
Contrary to Samford Dining’s claims, the doctor that attended to Gingrich, “confirmed and reiterated that there was an outbreak on campus,” she said.
Like other students’ concerns about university issues in the past, one thing Gingrich wished Samford had handled differently was their transparency about this situation. She said even one email regarding the matter would have been enough.
“Samford could have warned people that that could be a real cause, especially if they already thought it was the Caf,” said Gingrich.
Gingrich’s reaction to the nurses’ information about the contraction from the Caf was similar to Henry’s.
“It’s concerning, and a little disgusting once I thought about it,” said Gingrich.
As of releasing this article, Samford University has yet to put out an official statement regarding the matter, whether to confirm or deny rumors regarding the source of mono spreading across campus.
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