Al-Masry Al-Youm managed to break into the hostel of the American University in Cairo (AUC), where the students are quarantined after seven of them were infected with swine flu. Life in that building is not as bleak as some may think. The students are not really worried. They took off their masks and began to kill time by exercising in the gym or surfing the Internet. They even held a party on the ground floor on Wednesday evening. Communication between students and the administration is through e-mail, which Al-Masry Al-Youm obtained copies of. Most of the mail was about deliveries of food to the hostel. Due to a shortage in workers, the security personnel help in cleaning the bathrooms, and there are large quantities of detergents available for cleaning. Also, the students change the bed sheets and the towels everyday. Brook Con, an American student of international relations, said his two roommates had a fever on Wednesday night, ranging between 38 and 38.5 degrees, but no samples were taken from them for analysis. They were just moved to another room and the doctor gave them medication to bring down the temperature. Con appreciated that the Egyptian Ministry of Health is providing the necessary medication, as it is expensive to buy. Maha el-Kadi, a student of Middle Eastern Studies, said most students took off masks, as they are not worried much.
