So sorry for the delay on this update, my son was sick the past week.
UPDATE:
On September 2nd, the school sent out another email pertaining to the situation that reads as follows:
”An update from Student Health Service
Dear students,
You received an email Wednesday about students experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms at the start of the semester.
As the email mentioned, the Cortland County Health Department has worked closely with several campus offices, including Student Health Service, the Division of Student Affairs and Cortland Auxiliary Services, throughout the week.
You should know the following:
Three stool samples have been tested. Testing from two samples revealed norovirus, a contagious virus that can cause gastrointestinal illness and can come from many potential sources.
The origin of the virus affecting students is unknown. All three samples also were tested for bacterial causes, including several commonly associated with food-borne illness, and all three samples came back negative.
The Cortland County Health Department conducted a full food service inspection of the Bistro Off Broadway earlier this week, which came back satisfactory without violations or health hazards.
The food supplier for Cortland Auxiliary Services, Performance Food Group, initiated an internal review and found that there are no recalls for the university’s food supply. Staff members also checked and verified all food temperature logs since the start of the semester to ensure that they met all food safety guidelines.
Fortunately, the number of students reporting gastrointestinal issues has declined since the first days of the semester. Please remember to practice proper hand hygiene, do not attend class or social gatherings if you are sick, and clean any potentially contaminated surfaces.
If you are sick, you may be evaluated by Student Health Service by calling 607-753-4811 Monday through Fridayfrom 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. If you need medical assistance after hours or on weekends, you can access medical care at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center, which is staffed by physicians 24 hours a day, or Cortland Convenient Care, located on Route 281.
Sincerely,
Melissa Partigianoni, MS, FNP-BC
Interim Medical Director
Student Health Service”
SUNY Cortland claims that the dining facility has been tested as well as three (3) samples. As there were many more than THREE students experiencing these symptoms, there is a high probability that these tests were not proportionally accurate to the entire student population. The school also failed to acknowledge the students that were hospitalized, while continuing to shirk responsibility. My child, as well as ALL of our children and ourselves do not deserve to be dismissed and discredited. There are still complaints all over the students’ social medias, my Cortland student has shared with me screenshots of multiple people saying they are still feeling sick and having not only nausea, but diarrhea the past week as well. If investigation has been done, why are the results not publicly available? We need our students to be taken seriously and to give them the ability to feel safe eating on campus. I know that my child has not eaten meat from any dining hall in two weeks, and I have purchased meals and various protein items to try and keep her health from declining. This is a measure not all students and parents can afford, and it should not be necessary. We deserve for the voices of our children and ourselves to be heard at SUNY Cortland.