A Cal State Long Beach student who was infected with viral meningitis in Los Cerritos Hall on April 9 will be returning to school soon, according to Stan Olin, director of Housing & Residential Life.
“She had been treated by her family physician and sent home with medication,” Olin said.
This infection is the second case of meningitis this semester. However, as stated in an e-mail from Olin, the student was infected with viral meningitis, which is far less serious than bacterial meningitis.
“If she would have had bacterial meningitis…they wouldn’t have been sending her home,” Olin said. “They would have put her in a hospital in isolation.”
According to Olin, the person infected with bacterial meningitis last month in Los Alamitos has returned to the dorms and is doing well. After that meningitis case, Olin said the student’s roommate was checked at the Student Health Center.
He also said that, like the case in Los Alamitos, the bathrooms in Los Cerritos will be sanitized twice a day.
The Health Resource Center was not available for comment. An information sheet attached to Olin’s e-mail stated that, unlike the bacterial form, viral meningitis can not result in disability or death if left untreated. Symptoms of viral meningitis include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, confusion, nausea, vomiting and eye sensitivity to light, according to the information sheet. The symptoms last seven to 10 days, and after bed rest, plenty of fluids and medication, the person recovers completely.
Like the bacterial form, viral meningitis is spread through saliva and mucus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Although viral meningitis is contagious, the Web site states that only a small proportion of people infected with the virus actually develop meningitis.
