In Antarctica, the Crud is a natural force to be reckoned with
The hazards of this hostile continent include
ice, fire, wind and whiteout. And then there’s the Crud.
The hazards of this hostile continent include ice,
fire, wind and whiteout. And then there’s the
Crud.
A debilitating ailment that can attack the nose, the throat, the chest or the gut, the Crud is a force to be reckoned with, especially for the highly skilled, highly pressured, highly motivated workers at McMurdo Station, the biggest U.S. science center in Antarctica.
The garden-variety McMurdo Crud is “like what you’d call a cold back in the United States,” said Dr. Harry Owens, the lead physician at the base hospital.
Symptoms include stuffy nose, aching sinuses and ears and coughing.
The problem is workers in Antarctica, often under pressure to accomplish much in a short stay, are reluctant to do what’s needed to keep the Crud from infecting the entire population of 3000 or so: stay in bed, drink lots of fluids and wash hands before every meal and after every bathroom visit, Owens said.
So notices about the Crud are everywhere, and underlined in briefings for every new visitor. Hand-washing stations are in almost every hallway. For those who still forget to wash, jugs of waterless hand-sanitizing liquid are in the hallway leading to the main cafeteria.
A debilitating ailment that can attack the nose, the throat, the chest or the gut, the Crud is a force to be reckoned with, especially for the highly skilled, highly pressured, highly motivated workers at McMurdo Station, the biggest U.S. science center in Antarctica.
The garden-variety McMurdo Crud is “like what you’d call a cold back in the United States,” said Dr. Harry Owens, the lead physician at the base hospital.
Symptoms include stuffy nose, aching sinuses and ears and coughing.
The problem is workers in Antarctica, often under pressure to accomplish much in a short stay, are reluctant to do what’s needed to keep the Crud from infecting the entire population of 3000 or so: stay in bed, drink lots of fluids and wash hands before every meal and after every bathroom visit, Owens said.
So notices about the Crud are everywhere, and underlined in briefings for every new visitor. Hand-washing stations are in almost every hallway. For those who still forget to wash, jugs of waterless hand-sanitizing liquid are in the hallway leading to the main cafeteria.
Sometimes — just sometimes
— I think being a hermit is the right idea. You’re less likely to
get sick if you can avoid people altogether.
Posted: Mon - December 11, 2006 at 06:08 AM