Spreading Sickness

Kids+close living quarters = spreading sickness

Day after day here in LA kids are being sent home from CTY left and right. Yesterday alone I had to pack up 5 different student rooms so they could go home. Most of the students are running high fevers (over 100 degrees) and showing flu-like symptoms. Because of the ever-spreading H1N1 virus, we are being required to quarantine and then send home any sick students.

The sickness has been hard on students and staff alike. Students cry after finding out their roommates, camp friends, or hall mates have been sent home for being sick. There's widespread paranoia here as well concerning the spread of the illness. Students are afraid that they too will succumb to what their roommate has which, in their minds, inevitably leads to being sent home. Many students here are now afraid to go to the nurse's office. They see her as the bad person of camp. After all, she's the one that sends everyone home.

Additionally, staff is beginning to get sick. Already we're one RA down. Yesterday we had another RA have a fever. Luckily he's ok today and can be back around the students. The past few days my partner in crime, Christian, has been getting worse and worse. First he had a fever, then felt really tired, and today has a really bad sore throat.

So, between working side by side with a sick guy, walking past the infirmary every day, and packing up the items of students having the flu, I'm left to wonder when sickness is going to hit me. Pray for myself and my co-workers that we can all stay well enough to enjoy the second session of camp! Prayer combined with lots of fluids, vitamins and hand washing should just about do the trick!