OTHER EMERGENCY RESOURCES
Safety Alert
Howard University Police Department
2244 10th Street NW, Dispatch 806-4747,1100
Investigations Section 806-1081
October 6th, 2008.
Health Information on Norovirus "Stomach Flu"
Earlier this week Georgetown University experienced an outbreak of viral gastroenteritis caused by the Norovirus. Although we have not had an outbreak at Howard University, we want to inform the community about this virus.
Norovirus is a highly contagious viral infection transmitted through person to person contact or food-water ingestion and has a short incubation period of one to two days. Affected students may experience vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, and sometimes headaches and low grade fever. All symptoms start suddenly, and, in most cases, the virus lasts one to two days.
Transmission can occur one of the following ways:
- Eating food or drinking liquids infected with the virus;
- Touching surfaces infected with the virus and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes;
- Person to person through sharing eating utensils, shaking hands, caring for a sick person;
- Not washing hands after using the bathroom and before eating or preparing food.
Here are a few ways you can protect yourself:
- Frequently wash your hands, especially before eating or preparing food;
- Avoid shaking hands;
- Use alcohol sanitizers;
- Clean surfaces with Clorox.
If you are experiencing any of these problems, seek medical care immediately. The Student Health Center is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm, and on Wednesdays from 8:00am to 8:00pm. If your symptoms are severe, go directly to your closest Emergency room.
UNIVERSITY POLICE NON-EMERGENCY
202-806-1100
UNIVERSITY POLICE EMERGENCY
202-806-7777
UNIVERSITY POLICE HOSPITAL DIVISION
202-865-1103
UNIVERSITY POLICE HOTLINE/TIP LINE
202-806-4444
MPD’s ASSISTANCE
911
“Remember Safety & Security is Everyone’s Business”
By order of Chief of Police Leroy K. James
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