Recently, the water pollution incident at Shenyang Normal University has led to over two thousand students and parents being poisoned, showing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, and needing hospital treatment. The school claimed it was infected with Norovirus, but many questioned the inconsistency between the school’s notification and the hospital’s diagnosis of bacterial infection. It’s believed that the contamination of the school’s water reservoir was man-made, as water quality issues have been persistent at the school and have now erupted into a major crisis.
According to a student named Li Ming (pseudonym) from Shenyang Normal University, on September 8th, during the freshers’ registration period that ended on August 31st, the incubation period for bacteria ended, causing students to start experiencing vomiting and diarrhea. As most of the affected students were freshmen in the East Campus, many parents were having meals in the East Campus cafeteria with their children, resulting in a large number of freshmen and parents experiencing discomfort and symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea.
He also mentioned that after the food poisoning incident, the school immediately switched to online classes. Some local students chose to go home, while some students with long distances to travel decided to stay on campus. However, the school was reported to have shown unfriendly attitudes towards out-of-town students who chose to purchase train tickets to return home.
Furthermore, the students who stayed on campus could only solve their food issues outside the school premises. There were reports circulating online showing videos of the taps at the university dispensing black water, with students collectively joking that the color resembled oil.
Li reported that the school has not explained why the water was black. The school used groundwater instead of water from the municipal water company and had its own dedicated water reservoir. On September 7th, the Liaoning Provincial Shenyang Disease Prevention and Control Bureau issued a notice stating that on August 31st, Shenyang Normal University Hospital began receiving a batch of students with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea, concluding that the incident was caused by Norovirus contamination of the school’s self-contained well water reservoir.
The notice also reported that as of 5 pm on September 7th, a total of 2087 individuals with gastrointestinal symptoms were reported, with 1817 having recovered and 270 still exhibiting mild symptoms.
The classification of mild symptoms in the notice immediately sparked backlash and dissatisfaction from the infected students in the comments section. One student publicly responded, “I’m still on a drip now, and they say it’s only a mild symptom?”
In an open letter addressed to the teachers and students of Shenyang Normal University, it was stated that the water sample at the end of the water supply network in the East Living Area tested positive for Norovirus, leading the school to close the water pipes in that area, though no abnormalities were found in other areas’ water supply.
Li Ming questioned the school’s claim of Norovirus infection, citing that the diagnosis of the students being treated in hospitals did not align with the school’s statement. He said, “As far as I know, at least 50 students receiving treatment in hospitals were diagnosed with bacterial infections, not Norovirus.”
He suspected that the school was labeling the water quality issue as a Norovirus infection, a sentiment echoed by many in the comments section. One female student stated, “I know for sure it’s not Norovirus. Norovirus is contagious, but parents returning from the school did not spread it to others.”
Some parents also pointed out, “For those who have had Norovirus, the biggest characteristic is not just vomiting and diarrhea, but also accompanied by fever. If it’s just vomiting and diarrhea, then it’s not Norovirus.”
Another university student named Chen Feng (pseudonym) emphasized that the bacterial poisoning was caused by water pollution, resulting in the school shutting down the water supply in the East Campus and connecting temporary municipal water pipes. He stated that he had already returned home and that the school had notified students not to return.
In the comments section, on September 4th, a student mentioned, “We all tested positive for bacterial infection, not Norovirus. Aren’t bacteria and viruses two different things?”
The netizens in the comments section overwhelmingly agreed and responded, saying, “This is an attempt to evade responsibility” and “Blaming man-made disasters on natural causes.”
A patient named “Squeak” confirmed in the comments section, “Due to bacterial infection, I fasted for a day without eating anything. The doctor wouldn’t allow me to eat and had me fast, not even allowed to drink water, received injections for two to three days, only had a little millet porridge in the evening.”
Another patient expressed their helplessness in a follow-up comment, saying, “Without specific medications, all I can do is endure. I feel nauseous, dizzy, unable to defecate properly, and when I do, it’s watery. I feel cold, even when covered with a quilt, I feel as if I’m half-dead.”
Li Ming further disclosed that people at the school knew that the water quality issues extended beyond just the East Campus, with even the South Campus now affected.
Regarding whether the water in the temporary pipes the school has connected can be consumed safely, he stated, “The school mentioned that it can only be used to flush the toilets and not for other purposes. Since the school stopped the water supply on September 2nd, the currently connected municipal water cannot be consumed either.”
After the incident at Shenyang Normal University, many people in the comments section of related news expressed that the school has been suppressing public opinion. Many videos circulating on social media earlier, exposing severe water quality problems and black water at the school, were taken down. It wasn’t until the situation escalated into a large-scale poisoning incident that the authorities issued a notice on September 7th, and only then did the news begin to trend.