There's been some sad news come out of Cork this afternoon: a University College Cork student has died from meningitis, reports Independent.ie.
It's not known what strain of meningitis it was or the name of the student, but the tragedy has sparked calls for other students and people in the community to be aware of the symptoms of the disease.
The Meningitis Research Foundation has received an influx of calls related to meningitis and a spokeswoman for the charity told the Irish Independent today the foundation was devastated by the news:
“We would like to offer our sincere condolences to her family and friends; our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.”
Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord and can be confused for other everyday illnesses, which can lead to people believing the symptoms aren't serious or life-threatening.
Here's some symptoms to look out for - share with your friends:
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- fever/vomiting
- severe headaches
- stiff neck
- sensitivity to bright lights
- difficult to wake up
- confused
- unexplained rash
- seizures
“We want to make the public aware of the symptoms of meningitis so if anyone would like any further information or feels that they could benefit from talking to someone please call our Dublin office on: 01 819 6931, our Freefone Helpline on: 1800 41 33 44 or visit our web site www.meningitis.org", said the spokesperson.
Our thoughts are with the student's friends and family. RIP.