Left and right John Carroll students are coughing or blowing their noses. Students are sleeping through classes because they do not have the will to get out of bed. Are we all dying? Is there a mutant string of the plague attacking? No. It is just our good old friend Virus EV-D68. Or in normal people talk “a mutant form of the common cold.” It causes severe coughing and breathing in children and young adults. This strand was discovered in 1962 and pops up every now and then. It especially happens when kids go back to school and spread germs with each other on the playground.
This summer the virus popped up in Illinois and Missouri so we have them to thank for this awful sickness. So far there have been 10 states (Ohio being one of them) that have been hit with the cold; thousands of children and young adults are taken ill. If you have asthma or respiratory problems this virus will hit you harder then most. This virus is known for spreading fast and lasting for up to two weeks at a time with intense side effects.
So, if you find yourself couching up a lung, curse Illinois and walk yourself down to the Health Center for some free medication sooner rather then later. Nipping this cough head on rather then waiting for it to get so bad you can’t sleep will help you in the long run. If you don’t have the JCU Plague yet, pound down one cup of OJ every meal and try to wash your hands as much as possible.
Stay Healthy, JCU.