According to a story from The Washington Post, a host of different factors ultimately led to the tragic death of Olivia Shea Paregol, a freshman at the University of Maryland. A combination of unsafe living conditions, Olivia’s diagnosis with Crohn’s disease (a type of inflammatory bowel disease), and poor decision making from university administration allowed dozens of students at the school to become sick with an outbreak of adenovirus and caused Olivia’s death.
About Crohn’s Disease
Crohn’s disease is not technically considered rare in the US, but its characteristics are similar to many rare diseases, particularly the closely related ulcerative colitis. As a disease with immune system involvement, many therapies that are used to manage it have an effect on the function of the immune system. Many rare disease patients, particularly those with autoimmune diseases, must also accept that the suppression of the immune system is a necessary part of treatment.
An Unlikely Killer
Most of the time, infection with adenovirus only inflicts mild symptoms similar to the flu or a common cold, but certain strains can be much more dangerous. In order to control her Crohn’s, Olivia was taking medication that weakened the function of her immune system. This led her to be vulnerable to a particularly dangerous viral strain that ultimately led to her death.
While it may seem as if Olivia’s death was simply a matter of unfortunately circumstances and being in the wrong place at the right time, the sad truth is that her demise was preventable. The university administrators were facing a crisis and they failed to act decisively. They waited 18 days after they were aware of the outbreak before informing the University of Maryland community about what was happening.
The abnormally rainy conditions in the College Park area over the past year or so also led to a preponderance of mold in the dorms on campus, particularly Elkton Hall, where Olivia was staying. The negative health effects of mold made her and other students more vulnerable to viral infection. Ultimately, over 40 students would be affected by adenovirus.
Treating a serious case of adenovirus means detecting the treating the disease early, and the lack of information regarding what was happening played a major role in sealing Olivia’s fate. Institutions such as universities need to do a better job of thinking about the chronically ill and immuno-compromised. Often, their lives may depend on it.
