EATON COUNTY, MI (WLNS) – Blair Hall on Olivet’s campus is now back open after being inspected for possible Carbon Monoxide readings.
Since Tuesday night 55 students were evaluated at area hospitals for similar symptoms but are now back on campus. As our Nick Perreault explains the school and fire department still don’t know what put the students in the hospital.
Students said they were throwing up, they were dizzy and had a lot of headaches.
Similar symptoms sent 55 students to the hospital over a two day span. The symptoms were consistent to someone who had been exposed to Carbon Monoxide.
All 55 have been released, but they still don’t know what they had.
“From lower level basement up to upper level we found no readings†for Carbon Monoxide or other hazardous gases.
Olivet Fire used 40 different monitors scanning throughout Blair Hall, where most of the sick students call home.
“They discharged us with papers saying how to treat Carbon Monoxide for the signs and symptoms of it, so I don’t know what that means,†said a student.
But if the levels that were detected weren’t registering solely Carbon Monoxide, what is that 4-15 reading the student told 6 News the equipment was detecting in them?
“Carbon Monoxide and oxygen both attach to the blood. So what that detection equipment is better at assessing is someone that’s having oxygen saturation issues, like someone with COPD or emphysema, not necessarily a true indicator for Carbon Monoxide,†said Lt. Michael Mcleieer, Olivet Fire.
6 News was told that for a more accurate reading for someone who may have been exposed to Carbon Monoxide, that has to be done through a blood test at a hospital. Those 55 that were sent to Hayes Green Beach and Oakwood were tested and all their levels came back normal.
“I can’t really speculate on what the cause is at this point, we’re taking histories on students and getting emergency room records and will be correlating exposures to see if we can help identify what produced the symptoms in these students,†said Dr. Robert Schirmer, Barry Eaton County Medical Director.
A scary situation that these students say they’re glad to be back on campus, some still with headaches, but feel the university handled it the best they could
As additional precaution all common surfaces at Blair Hall, such as door knobs, bathroom fixtures and laundry equipment have been sanitized.