Ohio State student tests positive for meningitis
According to Columbus Public Health, those students have been notified of their potential exposure and offered an antibiotic to battle the infection.
Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation in the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord and can potentially lead to death if not treated.
A university spokesperson said one student tested positive last week for meningitis.
Students can contact Ohio State Student Health to receive the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin at the Wilce Student Health Center during the clinic's regular hours. The spokesperson added that many students have already received their dose.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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USA Today
a day ago
- USA Today
These parents don't only fear the death of their child. They fear dying first.
Karen and Jeff Groff have read the same children's books to their son Danny for nearly four decades. At 6 feet, 1 inch tall, 39-year-old Danny Groff enjoys sitting in between his parents on their couch in Upper Arlington, Ohio holding a stuffed Bert Muppet toy. He leans in toward his mother as she reads "Curious George Rides a Bike," and breaks into a smile when she whispers, "George got curious." Danny Groff has Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a rare and severe type of epilepsy that typically develops in early childhood. About 50,000 people in the U.S. and 1 million people worldwide have the condition, according to the LGS Foundation. Every time a seizure happens, brain damage occurs that can lead to learning difficulties and other lifelong disabilities. Danny Groff has seizures daily, and Karen Groff said he has the developmental abilities of a 2-year-old. He also has Type 1 diabetes, which means he can only stay part time at his adult day program. The staff there can't distribute the insulin he needs to live. He spends mornings at the program with his peers, and the rest of his time at home with his parents. More: Revealing data shows number of caregivers in the US has skyrocketed Danny Groff has grown accustomed to his routine: morning coffee, daily injections and medications, story time, afternoon outings, "Wheel of Fortune" in the evenings and Friday 'happy hours' with his extended family. He adores his 10-month-old niece, Cecelia, and his Buckeye-themed bedroom, where the Ohio State University logo adorns everything from his bedding to his lamp to his wall art. The Groffs know it can't always be this way, but their son can't talk about his future. Now, both 66 and retired educators, they are planning for two outcomes, which Karen Groff said are equally scary. 'Our worst nightmare is that we lose him first,' she said. 'And our worst nightmare is that we go first.' When parents and caregivers die or otherwise can no longer provide care to their loved one − whether they be a person with a disability or someone else who needs care − that responsibility inevitably gets passed down to another friend or family member. Even if the person being cared for moves to a facility with caregiving staff, someone still needs to help with that move and keep tabs on the person's care and finances. Caregiving is becoming increasingly common in the U.S., where a new study from AARP found nearly 1 in 4 adults are caregivers. The Groffs are in the midst of prearranging three funerals: their own and Danny's. 'It's a little overwhelming," Karen Groff said. "I can't die.' 'It's OK to ask for help' Parents of adult children with rare diseases often struggle with the ongoing care their kids need. Research into rare conditions is often limited, leaving many parents like the Groffs uncertain on how to plan for the future. More: Nearly half of parents with disabled kids report suicidal thoughts, but can't find help The National Organization for Rare Disorders' help line in 2024 responded to nearly 135,000 requests for assistance. Jill Polander, vice president of patient services, said at least 125 of those calls, annually, are from parents and guardians seeking guidance on how to plan for their kids' futures. Some families opt for residential facilities. Others cobble together a team of family, friends and paid caregivers that can provide 24/7 in-home care. Both options can be costly − for example, a 2020 report from the National Disability Institute, in partnership with several universities, estimated that a household with an adult with a disability requires, on average, an additional $17,690 a year. The Groffs said they are still figuring it out. A 2018 University of Illinois study, which surveyed more than 380 parents of children and adults with disabilities, found fewer than half of those parents made long-term plans about who will take over their child's care. Several hadn't made plans at all, citing financial constraints and lack of resources, and more than 7% of parents in the survey said the topic was too "emotionally loaded" or stressful to talk about. "It's normal to have these concerns," Polander said. "It's OK to ask for help." Finding the right help Equally anxiety-inducing for the Groffs is the level of responsibility they feel they'll have to leave to their daughter, who has a family of her own. 'We hate to put that burden on them," Karen Groff said. But Jessica Hartman, 36, said she doesn't see her brother as a burden. As a special education preschool teacher, she said, "everything Danny taught me I now use in my career." Hartman's husband agreed early on – they'd be ready to take care of Danny. More: Your kids are all grown up. But what does being an 'empty nester' mean in 2025? It can be hard for some parents and guardians to explain how difficult their care duties are, and to find caregiving help from those who understand the level of care that's needed. The Groffs rarely sleep through the night and are tasked with everything from first aid to clean-up after a seizure. An in-home nurse helped for 25 years, but recently retired. Kena Pearson, CFO for the Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics, has a daughter, Ashley, with Angelman Syndrome, a rare neurogenetic disorder. Safety is a big concern, she said. Her daughter is 20 years old and 120 pounds. If she falls, she needs someone to catch her. 'There's no hitting up for us and having a date night," Pearson said. Hartman grew up with Danny Groff and understands what his care entails. The Groffs plan to add Hartman as her brother's guardian. Still, her parents would rather spare her the responsibility of his daily needs by having a nursing staff lined up to care for him in their home, if and when they die before him. Hartman and other family members would still have to help manage those caregivers and his finances to make sure everything runs smoothly. Danny Groff gets a little more than $600 each month through Supplemental Security Income, Karen Groff said. But that's not enough for him to live on. And to keep government benefits, people with disabilities need to keep their assets under $2,000. For now, Hartman is set up to inherit everything her parents own with the understanding that the money is for her brother's care. 'We're trying to be extremely frugal in retirement so that that is untouched," Karen Groff said. Building a road map for other families battling rare diseases There is an emotional toll to caring for a child with a rare disease and planning for their future, Polander said, but many caregivers don't want to talk to their family and friends about it because they don't want "their entire world to revolve around caregiving, illness, sickness." 'Parents have so much shame and fear around this topic. It's such a taboo, even in the disability world,' said Rosellen Reif, a mental health counselor in North Carolina who works with patients with disabilities and their families. Thanks to medical advancements, people with disabilities are living longer, Reif said. Before the turn of the century, many parents of children with disabilities were certain they would outlive their children. For some, that grief came with relief since those parents could see through their child's end-of-life care. Parents who need to make long-term care decisions that extend their own lives are in a "more ambiguous place," Reif said. Reif said she often rehearses conversations about long-term care with her patients, or helps them write letters to friends and family members. It's most important, Reif said, for the main caregivers (often parents) to be aligned on those decisions before involving others. Reif also encourages families of people with high care needs to make some transitions early, so that parents can be involved in the early stages of those next steps, and to not overwhelm their kids. 'We don't want them to lose their parents and in the same week have to move into somewhere new," Reif said. "That's a lot of really difficult transition and loss all at once.' When her son was first diagnosed, "it was literally terrifying," Karen Groff said. She longed for a community that would understand her situation, and after years, found a Facebook group that helped. 'You can go on there any time of the day or night, ask a question, and someone will be up at night and get back to you," she said. "And you need that sense that you are not alone.' The National Organization for Rare Disorders offers support groups and patient advocacy groups for families, too, so that caregivers can "talk to somebody who gets it," Polander said. As part of the organization's help line, call takers also connect families with resources that can help with an array of issues that come up while arranging care. Community is key, Karen Groff said. That's why, as board president of the Lennox-Gasaut Syndrome Foundation, she partnered with other patient advocacy groups and UCB, a global pharmaceutical company, to create a guide for families of adults battling rare epilepsy. The "C.A.R.E. Binder" is a workbook that helps families organize care and has suggestions on how to talk with loved ones about next steps. It also offers legal and financial guidance. Keeping "Uncle Danny" safe and happy The Groffs are still looking for a new in-home nurse to help them in their day-to-day routine. They said they expect that search to take at least another six months because of the nursing shortage, which is exacerbated for specialized care for someone with seizures. "We're not having luck with that so far," Karen Groff said. Pearson has had trouble finding care for her daughter, too, and said she supplements her daughter's caregivers nearly double what the state pays them. "Some people don't have that luxury," she said, but "the quality of care that you can find for $11.71 an hour is real low." Pearson is also looking for an in-home care solution, in case she dies before her daughter. The Groffs said they just want their son to be safe and happy. And he's happiest when he's around the people he loves, being "Uncle Danny" to Hartman's baby and laughing with his aunts and uncles at family gatherings. "It's all about quality of life at this point," Karen Groff said. This story is part of USA TODAY's The Cost of Care series highlighting caregivers from across the country. Previous feature for The Cost of Care: His sick wife asked him to kill her. Now that she's gone, he says the loneliness is worse. Previous feature for The Cost of Care: Her mom got sick, she moved in to help. Years later, they both feel trapped. Madeline Mitchell's role covering women and the caregiving economy at USA TODAY is supported by a partnership with Pivotal and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input. Reach Madeline at memitchell@ and @maddiemitch_ on X.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
More bed bugs found at Ohio EPA offices
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — More bed bugs were found at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency offices on Monday morning. An Ohio EPA spokesperson confirmed to NBC4 that dogs canvassed the offices inside the Lazarus Government Center on West Town Street and detected bugs in a third area. Last week, one bug was found in a second area. The first sighting was in July, and the spokesperson said that area has been treated by professional exterminators three times. Office equipment in that area is in the process of being replaced, and those employees have been working from home. Watch a previous video in the player above. 'The health and safety of our Ohio EPA employees is a top priority, and we take this matter seriously,' the spokesperson said in a statement. One employee also reported a single bug at home, and no bugs were detected at that employee's work area. The rest of the building will be inspected by dogs this week, and if more bugs are found, exterminators will be contacted. The Ohio EPA also set up traps to monitor for bugs, and no bugs have been discovered in the traps, which are checked daily, the spokesperson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
12 Hydration Mistakes Leaving You Parched, According to Experts
On the most basic level, you're probably well aware that drinking water = good, and skimping on it, especially when the weather heats up, is, well, the exact opposite. But in practice, the issue is a little more nuanced. In fact, there's a high probability that you may be making a few key hydration mistakes without even knowing it, which can be leaving you foggy, lethargic, and all-around not feeling your best. Of course, proper hydration is important any time of year, since adequate fluid intake is essential to pretty much every process that takes place in your body, from thinking to pooping, but it's especially critical during hot weather. Heat and humidity both cause increased sweating, resulting in a far faster rate of water loss. Because of this, you're at much higher risk of dehydration in warm weather—and you need to take in more fluid to make up for the difference. 'Not drinking enough water can impair both physical and mental performance, and in extreme cases, it can lead to serious complications like heat stroke or kidney problems,' Jennah Morgan, MD, an emergency medicine physician at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. Put another way: 'In order for our bodies to function properly, we have to be hydrated,' Cindy Nelson, associate professor at Utah State University Extension, tells SELF. Ultimately, this makes it all the more important to make sure that your fluid intake is doing what you want it to do. (Think you can chug a few glasses of liquid over the course of the day and be golden? That approach definitely leaves room for improvement, according to experts.) If that sounds like you, you're far from alone in misunderstanding the hydration assignment: Generally, a few patterns of error 'tend to come up often,' Dr. Morgan says. Read on to learn about 12 common hydration mistakes that could leave you falling short in the fluid department. 1. You see eight glasses per day as a nonnegotiable. Even though eight glasses is often framed as the universal standard for hydration, the belief that it's some sort of one-size-fits-all magic number 'really is a myth,' Nelson says. Rather, the 'ideal amount' is highly individualized because it depends on a bunch of different factors: age, weight, activity level, overall health, and more, she says. 'There isn't really a set amount you should drink every day.' That said, most folks would actually benefit from more than eight glasses per day, according to current guidelines. As SELF previously reported, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies actually recommends 2.7 liters (11 cups) and 3.7 liters (nearly 16 cups) for women and men ages 19 to 30, respectively. If you're hesitant to go by a blanket rec, you can use your body weight as a metric, Anthea Levi, MS, RD, CDN, a Brooklyn-based health writer and founder of Alive+Well Nutrition, tells SELF. 'Most people will benefit from drinking about half of their body weight in ounces of water daily,' Levi says—say, 75 ounces for a 150-pound person. Per the American Heart Association, the easiest way to determine if you're adequately hydrated is to check the color of your pee. Rather than dark yellow or even amber, 'aim for pale yellow,' Dr. Morgan says. Besides darkened pee, you also might notice other side effects if you're dehydrated, like fatigue, bad breath, dry mouth, and sugar cravings. 'Brain fog and headaches,' too, Nelson adds. 2. You wait until you're thirsty to drink… Thirst is a frequently misinterpreted sensation. Rather than your sign to start hydrating, it's actually more of an alarm bell flagging that you're overdue, according to Nelson. 'By that point, you may already be mildly dehydrated,' Dr. Morgan says. In fact, the sensation of thirst typically doesn't kick in until you've lost more than 1.5 liters of water through bodily processes like breathing, peeing, and sweating—so don't wait until then to drink something. The goal: 'Steady, proactive hydration,' Dr. Morgan says. Which leads us straight into our next point… 3. …and then you play catch-up. Sipping small amounts of fluid over a long period of time is a much better approach to hydration than chugging a large amount all at once. Basically, 'it's better to spread it out throughout the day and not wait,' Nelson says. Not only does this reduce your dehydration risk ('You're not going to go into a deficit as easily,' Nelson says), it'll also be easier on your stomach, preventing bloating and discomfort. Seriously, consistency is key. Besides, Dr. Morgan notes, it's not like chugging will instantly bring you back to baseline and fix any dehydration-related issues you might be experiencing: This way, 'your body won't absorb it all at once,' she explains. Plus, Nelson points out, delaying the bulk of your fluid intake until late in the afternoon or evening could disrupt your sleep since you'll likely have to get up to pee during the night. 4. You skimp on fluids around your workout. Hydrating is important regardless of your activity level, but it becomes even more pressing when you have exercise on the docket. 'It's important to pre-hydrate and also post-hydrate,' Nelson says. Running low on H2O right off the bat can affect your athletic performance in a number of ways (like raising your risk of cramps, hurting concentration and focus, and reducing flexibility, speed, and stamina), so drinking enough beforehand can help you show out to the best of your abilities. Meanwhile, all that exertion will dehydrate you faster (thanks, sweat!), so drinking enough afterward aids in recovery. Blanket fluid recs are hard to make for athletes, too, but in general, they should shoot to drink 17 to 20 ounces of fluid two hours before exercising, and seven to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes while exercising, per the American Council on Exercise. Weigh yourself before and after, and drink at least 20 ounces of water for every pound lost through sweat. 5. You don't keep track of your intake. Take it from Dr. Morgan: It's shockingly easy to end up in the red. 'A lot of people simply get busy and don't realize how little they've had to drink,' she says. That's why, Nelson says, you should be 'really intentional' in your approach to hydration—'knowing where you're at to start with and whether you need to improve.' Once people start documenting their intake, they're typically surprised by their actual total, she adds. If you struggle with remembering to drink (or you're prone to distractions), try keeping a water bottle on hand as both a visual aid prompting you to sip and a measuring tool quantifying the amount. Plus, this hack can help you portion out your fluids. Say you have a hydration goal of 60 ounces per day, for example. By 11 a.m., you should be around 20 ounces in; by 4 p.m., 40 ounces. This way, 'you kind of have a schedule,' Nelson says. Setting a timer for every 15 to 20 minutes can also be helpful. 6. You blow off water-rich foods. News flash: You don't necessarily have to drink a huge amount in order to hit your daily hydration goal. In some cases, eating can actually benefit your bottom line, Nelson says. Because certain foods consist almost entirely of H2O (as in, upward of 90%!), treating yourself to high-water-content items like fruits and veggies can contribute to your overall fluid intake—especially if you're teetering right on the edge of adequate hydration. To be clear, you shouldn't rely solely on food for all your daily water, according to Levi: We 'definitely need to drink' still, she says. With that caveat out of the way, strong options include oranges (88% water), cantaloupe (90%), strawberries (92%), watermelon (92%), zucchini (94%), cucumbers (95%), and lettuce (96%), not to mention liquid foods like soups, smoothies, and shakes. In fact, it's estimated that around 20% of your daily intake actually has food as its source. 7. You pile on the electrolytes. Quick overview in case the term 'electrolytes' is just a fitness buzzword to you: They're 'minerals that carry an electrical charge and support fluid balance throughout the body,' Levi says. So sodium, potassium, and magnesium play an important role in the overarching hydration conversation. That said, it's a mistake to think that electrolyte-rich drinks are automatically better than plain water—or that everyone needs extra electrolytes in the first place, according to Levi. In most cases, a balanced diet should actually provide all you need. For example, potassium can be found in 'beans, bananas, avocado, and Greek yogurt,' Levi says. And pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and nuts are great food sources of magnesium. Meanwhile, beverages like bone broth, smoothies, and unsweetened coconut water can also help you re-up if necessary (though Levi cautions that the hype around coconut water is seriously overblown). In reality, electrolyte drinks (like Gatorade and Powerade) and supplemental electrolytes (like Liquid IV or Gatorade Thirst Quencher powder) are best suited to a small population of people: competitive athletes, folks spending extended intervals in intense heat, and anyone else who's losing a considerable amount of fluids in a short period of time, according to Levi. 'For these groups, electrolyte-rich drinks can be helpful for swift rehydration,' she says. But for the average healthy person? 'Daily electrolyte supplementation is not a requirement.' (Here's more info on whether you should try electrolyte packets.) What's more, Nelson adds, many of these drinks and supplements contain a ton of sugar, an ingredient that can actually hurt your hydration mission. 8. You rely too heavily on sugary drinks… 'While all types of drinks will supply fluid, we want to be mindful of what types of beverages we're relying on to stay hydrated,' Levi says. Not all are created equal: Sugary types—think sodas, coffees made with sweet syrups, and many fruit juices, according to Levi—'may taste refreshing, but they don't hydrate as efficiently as water,' Dr. Morgan says. They can even have a dehydrating effect, since the sugar molecules pull water out of your body and into your blood. What's more, sugary beverages can also have other health downsides. They can hurt your energy levels by causing the infamous 'sugar crash,' Dr. Morgan adds. (To compound the problem, dehydration itself can also make you feel sluggish, so you could be in for a potential double whammy of fatigue.) And routinely overloading on sugar can also raise your risk of metabolic disease in the long term, according to Levi. Instead, use water as your go-to beverage (and if the plain stuff doesn't appeal, keep on reading). 9. …or those heavy on caffeine or carbonation. In addition to sugary beverages, you'll also want to limit carbonated and caffeinated ones, according to Nelson. 'Carbonation will make you feel full so you feel like you've drunk more fluid than you actually have,' limiting your intake and making it tough to stay adequately hydrated,' she says. The bubbles are also associated with GI issues like bloating and gas as well as dental wear and tear, according to Levi. Meanwhile, caffeine can cause you to pee and poop more, accelerating fluid loss and promoting dehydration. It can also trigger side effects like nausea, shakiness, anxiety, and poor sleep, as anyone who's ever overindulged knows all too well. Cap your caffeine intake at 400 milligrams or less per day (around two to three 12-fluid-ounce cups, max), Levi recommends. 10. Or, on the flip side, you force yourself to stick entirely to fluids you just don't enjoy. The blandness of water can be a big turnoff. Many folks simply don't drink it often because, well, they don't like the taste compared to the more flavorful beverages out there—so if tweaking the taste will help, do it! If making that change means you'll drink more, 'that's a real benefit,' Nelson says. To impart a light boost, try adding fruit or vegetable infusions, according to Nelson. Per Levi, you can do this by squeezing in some fresh lime or lemon juice, popping in some frozen berries, or adding fresh mint or basil leaves. This way, your H2O will be a bit more palatable (and thus easier for you to swallow, literally), but it'll still provide all the same hydration benefits. (And a hint for active people seeking more punch in their post-workout beverage: Chocolate milk makes 'a pretty good recovery drink,' Nelson says.) 11. You don't adjust your fluid intake, like, ever. Your hydration needs aren't fixed; they can fluctuate depending on your situation. Like we mentioned earlier, 'you need more fluids when you're active or it's hot out,' Dr. Morgan says, but other risk factors can also boost your hydration needs, like illness. In the event of fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, 'we're going to lose a lot of those fluids, so then we have to replenish them,' Nelson says. Other potential dehydration risk factors include alcohol and some medications, like laxatives, diuretics, and oral meds for type 2 diabetes. 12. And finally, you assume that more is always better. It's a classic case of too much of a good thing: 'Drinking enough water is essential for steady energy levels and healthy digestion,' but at the same time, it is possible to do it to excess—and even to the point of endangering your health, Levi says. Downing a ton over one to two hours can pose hazards like water intoxication, a.k.a. hyponatremia, the medical term for dangerously low sodium levels in the blood. 'Hyponatremia can cause nausea, vomiting, weakness and, in extreme cases, seizures or comas,' Levi says. To be clear, however, these kinds of severe side effects are rare: 'You'd likely have to chug a full gallon of water in an hour to be at risk,' she adds. (A more common occurrence? Like we mentioned above, you pound so much at once that your body can't actually absorb it efficiently.) So what are the signs that you've been a little overzealous in your hydration mission? Clear pee, for one. Just as you can gauge whether you're dehydrated by the color of your urine—remember, dark yellow indicates you need to drink more—so it can also tell you whether you're overhydrated. When your, ahem, output has no hue, it's a sign that you've gone overboard. Related: The Best Way to Treat Dry Mouth, No Matter the Cause How to Cool Down Fast When You're Hot, Cranky, and Just Can't Stop Sweating The Best Hydration Products To Help You Drink More Water Get more of SELF's great service journalism delivered right to your inbox. Originally Appeared on Self
