Students and staff worry about the risk of infections transmitted by gym and P.E. equipment at EC.
There is a possibility of catching fungal and bacterial infections from yoga mats, weights, exercise balls, Fitness Center machines and other workout gear.
“You don’t know who has what,” Madalyn Attaalla, art history major, said.
Currently, it appears there is no consistent process in place to clean equipment.
There are disinfectant wipes in both the locker rooms and the gymnasium, but responsibility lies with students to protect themselves and instructors to keep them informed.
“I recommend they bring their own mats,” Karin Jensen, P.E. instructor, said. “If not, bring a towel. That way they have something that’s theirs and they know it’s clean.”
Faculty has taken cleaning equipment upon themselves and their classes.
“It boils down to a lack of funding and staff,” Jensen said. “When I was the only one teaching pilates here, we had our own cleaning days.”
While the policy of wiping down the equipment is strict at the Fitness Center, it is still student and staff responsibility.
“Everyone uses the equipment here, even some of the staff,” Adam Hunsaker, supervisor of the Fitness Center, said. “Anyone who uses the equipment is asked to wipe it down before and after use.”
Some students feel unsafe using EC equipment or facilities.
“Even in yoga when I brought my own mat, I didn’t want to touch the gym floor,” Lindsey Lister, welding major, said.
According to www.medicinenet.com, people may be hospitalized or need to undergo antibiotic treatment for a serious infection caused by the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacterium to when exposed to sweat on any sort of gym equipment, not only at EC, but any other gym.
Students should use proper disinfectent to protect themselves from staph, said Herzik.
Many students are unaware of the risk or simply don’t think about it.
“I always wipe down the equipment, but I never knew I could get staph or whatever it is from it,” Gennady Tsoy, economics major, said. “I just do it because it seems cleaner to me after I do.”
Another factor that some believe increases the risk of developing infections is outright denial.
“I’d say denial is the closest way to describe it. You don’t think it’s going to happen to you,” Jensen said.
Students are warned to take precautions as safety from staph cannot be guaranteed.
“Anyone can develop a staph infection. A break in a barrier (such as skin) is the most common way of developing an infection,” Deborah Herzik, who works at the Student Health Service Center, said. “An open cut or a bruise that comes in contact with an infected area or a person is susceptible to staph.”
With an average of 24,000 students sharing sports equipment, tables, chairs and just about everything else, staph bacteria can be found almost anywhere, so students should simply be cautious.
“Good hygiene is your best defense,” Herzik said. “And don’t forget your flu shot.”
