univesities vary in swine flu precautions

 

Universities Vary In Swine Flu Precautions

 

Unlike AUC, not taking enough precautions towards swine flu, the GUC is taking extra safety measures to protect its students.

 

The German University in Cairo has taken some dramatic measurs since the beginning of the fall semester to protect the students from the increasing number of swine flu cases in the country.

 

Among the changes on campus are newly installed thermal cameras, longer school days and a shorter semester. But for students the increased caution is also causing an increase in headaches.

 

 

”Thermal cameras are applied on every gate in the university so If any student has a fever (more than 37.8 c), he is not allowed to enter,” said Ahmed El Naggar, security guard on GUC gates.

 

Classes are also now divided into groups to decrease the student gatherings indoors, and are only conducted twice a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. To The University decided to cancel the midterms and only finals will be taken. Finally, the semester will end before Christmas, one month before it usually ends.

 

”We are too stressed from all the precautions taken,” said Menna Adel, business major in GUC.

 

Adel added that students were concerned about their semester grades being entirely dependent on the final exam and class participation.  And the 12-hour class days were also making it difficult for students to focus on the material.

 

“It’s too hard to concentrate for 12 hours,” she said.

 

 

Freddy George, engineering major, added that the semester used to be around two months longer making him too stressed and concerned about his grades this semester.

 

George added that the classes are well aired and the tutorial class is around 20 students per group. No students are allowed to attend the tutorials in different groups so that the numbers stay the same.

 

But GUC’s precautions are a far cry from the atmosphere at the American University in Cairo, which has made relatively few drastic changes to combat the spread of swine flu. . Hand sterilizers are located in every floor of the campus buildings and the common flu vaccine is available in the school clinic. And instead of decreasing the class times, make up classes are being held on Saturdays and Fridays to complete the semester that was interrupted by the two-week swine flu break

 

Reem El Sissy, psychology major, added that she doesn’t get to have any weekend breaks due to a make-up class for her Religions of the World course which are held every Friday to finish the class material in time. She added that the class has 40 students and air conditioners are the still in use.

 

The students also didn’t seem to show any concerns about the disease. AUC students still gather in crowded places, take crowded buses, kiss and hug their friends, and they even smoke shisha.

 

Rana Sarrouf, CMA major, said “we thought that the students’ numbers on the buses will decrease because of the swine flu chaos, instead, 200 more students take the buses now and the buses’ numbers are not increased”

 

Sheriff El Zimaty, political science major, said “I don’t think that it’s a big deal” he added that he goes with his friends to “time out” café near campus in the 3 hour gap he has to smoke shisha and study.

 

With almost all of the swine flu cases resulting in recovery, people don’t just think of it as a deadly disease or take it that seriously.

 

Zimaty added that he knows a girl, Lina Saddek, who had the swine flu and recovered in a week. She told hum that it was just like the common strong cold flu that just needs some rest at home.

  

Advertisement