An outbreak of pink eye is sweeping across campus.

While most of the cases are not severe enough to keep those infected from attending classes, many students are taking extra precautions to avoid contracting it.

Communications sophomore Jordan Hultine, a Biever RA, contracted it from one of his residents.

“It’s been going around for the past couple of weeks,” Hultine said.

Many students speculate as to how exactly they caught the virus. Business freshman Colby Carpenter said that he heard people were getting it from the computer keyboards in the library.

“I’m pretty sure I got it in the bathroom,” said Kate Rafferty, communications freshman and Biever resident.

“Now I use Purell instead of touching the faucets,” she said.

Casey Revoir, a Biever RA, said three quarters of the students on her floor have had pink eye in the past few weeks.

“I had all the girls with pink eye,” she joked.

Revoir has told her residents to start carrying hand sanitizer around with them and to wash their hands often.

Associate Director for Residential Life Michelle Andrews said that although some of her staff members have had pink eye in the past few weeks she was unaware that it was such a problem in the dorms.

“No one has really said anything to me,” she said.

Mandy Odell, a registered nurse at the Student Health Clinic, said that it does seem like Loyola has an outbreak on its hands.

“It could just be from the close proximity of the dorms but students could also catch it in the classroom,” said Odell.

To prevent the spread of pink eye, Odell said, you should wash your hands regularly and avoid touching your face.

If you do contract pink eye, you should start the eye drop treatment as soon as possible, she said. Odell said it is important not to share the eye drops with someone else, as this will help spread the virus.

According to WebMD.com, pink eye or conjunctivitis is redness and swelling of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that lines the eyelid and eye surface. Initial stages of the viral strand often resemble cold symptoms and then progress on to swelling of the eyelids, feeling as if something is in the eye, an itching or burning feeling, sensitivity to light and drainage from the eye.

The virus is common and will usually last seven to 10 days when untreated.

Dominique Ellis can be reached at [email protected].