AIBU to get COVID flashbacks from the Meningitis Outbreak

I live in an area affected by this outbreak, and people are pulling their children out of school. In that respect it feels very much like covid times, as people are panicked. The difference is we have treatments for meningitis.

Most of us can remember serious meningitis outbreaks from our time at university, even if it was decades ago. They are unfortunate, but not uncommon.
If people spread ridiculous scaremongering nonsense, they deserve to be firmly put in their place and told to grow up.

This thread is idiotic.

Meningitis is actually not that uncommon in uni settings. This is nothing like Covid.

This is true, which is why it is sensible to disperse the students rather than keeping them cooped up in halls, sharing cutlery / foods, snogging etc, all of which could keep it going.

Exactly, from a practical standpoint they are better off being broken up and dispersed rather than remaining in halls, in close proximity, when spread will likely continue at a low level - easiest way to stop it is to dish out antibiotics and disperse.

@UpTheWomen very succinct advice is best Don’t snog a teenage stranger on a train and you’ll be grand. 😄

Because they are like you and letting their minds run away from them

You are way off

its not highly contagious - completely different

Unless she is planning to spend time with a bunch of late teens/young adults in close communal living space, with regular nights out at the local night club then I think she will be fine.

Meningitis is passed on by very close contact such as kissing, sharing vapes, cigarettes, drinks bottles or glasses and possibly sex.
It is a problem for the uni age group because of their behaviour.

It is a problem in young babies because of their immature immune system and also for anyone who is immunosuppressed. But most immunosuppressed individuals are at risk from lots of stuff so are used to being careful.

Most unis are pretty hot on meningitis risk and students are given info packs from Meningitis Now. When DS arrived at halls in his first year I made sure that I pinned the info on his noticed board. We’ve had two cases of bacterial meningitis in our family so I’m a bit hyper vigilant about meningitis. I frequently reinforce the protocol and insist he contacts me if he is unwell. He very rarely complains about being unwell so I’m know if he contacts me it’s more than a common cold.

We’ve just been through 6 months of scabies treatment. Like most I believed the “ just a couple of treatments and all will be fine “ info on the NHS site. It has been more like 6 months of full blown chemical warfare.

Agreed. Think of the poor parents who have suffered losing a child.

i seriously wonder about people these days

Ear infections, chest infections, teeth infections , bites etc. they all need antibiotics. Needing antibiotics doesn’t quantify the seriousness of the situation.

Cardiff? I remember. Was a scary time

*Wait until someone posts about putting cheese in their coffee because they're out of milk!

*Before some know it all pipes up, yes I know it was a joke that got snowballed and not a serious suggestion.

Unless she has been mixing very closely with undergrads etc who have been exposed to infection, almost certainly no.
Meningitis is an entirely different illness to the mmr vaccine targets. However as someone upthread has said she ought to also have had Menb vax too as part of usual regime. Check her health record and find out.

Posted too soon. I just think it’s really sad but as a parent of kids the same age living away from home (and frankly all their dubious habits) I do think it’s worrying. The natural urge would be to want them to come home where we can keep an eye on them. Lots of students will be travelling home for Easter anyway. It’s worrying enough generally knowing that they’re out clubbing and may come home alone stupidly drunk or even spiked and this adds a whole dimension of fear I think. The concern being that the deterioration is fast and could be dismissed as a hangover or whatever.They’re not the most cautious age as it is. I really feel for parents with kids in the area, but yes, it will be difficult to contain for sure.News reports seem to indicate men c, which not many will be vaccinated against, but reports don’t seem definite yet ?

No scaremongering OP. People will be out panic buying pasta and bog roll again if we’re not careful.

I should have also said not to worry. Just read up on the symptoms so you know as its good to know but despite what the op is trying to frighten you with it isnt like covid.
Meningitis spreads quickly in university students because they live together and lots of kissing and sharing etc.
Different lifestyle to a 6 year old! 😁

I j

I'm being dense i know 🙈

OP, you need to educate yourself on Meningitis before scaremongering.

She's been vaccinated for measles mumps and rubella

Its almost Easter break.
The university has stopped face to face learning and exams
They want to see family
Many reasons. If I had a child at the uni I would rather they were home taking antibiotics and then if they did become ill I could keep an eye on them rather than being on their own ill and worried

Aren’t most of the cases linked back to a nightclub where there was a lot of kissing/sharing vapes/people in close proximity? Meningitis spreads in that kind of environment or where people are living in close proximity. I don’t think there’s a wider risk to the public.

So they don’t keep passing it around among themselves. Lots of teens in small rooms, shared bathrooms which aren’t cleaned often enough, never opening the windows, sharing drinks and not being very good at doing the washing up, snogging lots of new people - it’s the same as glandular fever, spreads easily among students due to living in close quarters and being intimate with each other and not too fussy about hygiene.