Two Suffolk County Community College Computer Science students, Haley Olson and Joseph Hanrahan recently took top honors and a cash prize at the Center of Excellence in Wireless and Information Technology (CEWIT) at Stony Brook University’s Sixth Annual Hackathon.
“I congratulate our students for excelling at this year’s Hackathon,” said Suffolk County Community College President Dr. Edward Bonahue. “Our students demonstrate year after year that they have the skills and training needed to succeed in demanding technology environments, and their accomplishments underscore the value of Suffolk County Community College’s education.”
Olson and Hanrahan created a game for the coding competition that utilized computer languages they learned on the fly.
“One challenge we ran into was not knowing JavaScript at all. It was a completely new language for us. HTML and CSS were relatively new to us too.Also, we had to learn how to web scrape in order to get our NFT data for our project,” the pair wrote in their project description for their game, that “that informs the public about NFT’s as well as shows the shocking price tags.”
An NFT — non-fungible token — is a special kind of crypto asset in which each token is unique — as opposed to “fungible” assets like Bitcoin and dollar bills, which are all worth exactly the same amount. Because every NFT is unique, they can be used to authenticate ownership of digital assets like artworks, recordings, and virtual real estate.
Olson and Hanrahan’s game Guess the Most Expensive NFT involves a player choosing from among three random NFTs to guess which is most expensive. After finishing the game, the player can look at the information on each NFT via the links that appear under each picture.
Olson, of Port Jefferson Station, who will graduate in May with an Associates in Computer Science said the challenging part was learning the new languages. “We programmed using Java Script, HTML and CSS and learned how to create a web site, guessthenft.net,” Olson said. Olson previously earned a B.A. in actuarial science from SUNY Binghamton in 2020 and interned at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center last summer creating data visualizations for the radiology department’s finance manager.
Professor Bin Li had praise for the college’s program and students.
“Haley established a STEM students’ research club in the spring semester of 2022, and is serving as president of the club,” Li said, and explained that Haley and Joseph competed with 4-year college students and won the award for outstanding innovation in their project.”
“Our students have participated in Hackathon events hosted by Stony Brook University and won awards for three consecutive years,” Li said, “and several students are interned at top institutions, including 3DQI Lat at MGH, Harvard Medical School, Brookhaven National Lab.”
The following incidents have been reported by the Suffolk County Police:
Centereach
■ A 2019 Dodge Ram 1500 worth approximately $30,000 was stolen from the front of a residence on Ruland Road in Centereach on March 23.
■ Walmart on Middle Country Road in Centereach reported a shoplifter on March 22. A man allegedly stole basketball gaming cards worth approximately $300.
Commack
■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported a shoplifter on March 23. A man allegedly stole an LG Soundbar worth $129.
■ Home Depot on Crooked Hill Road in Commack reported that a man allegedly stole 8 items of 250” electrical wire and other items worth $1320 on March 25.
■ Walmart on Crooked Hill Road in Commack on March 25 called the police to report a shoplifter. A man allegedly stole an iRobot vacuum worth $219 and a Samsung stick vacuum worth $199.
■ Famous Footwear on Jericho Turnpike in Commack reported a shoplifter on March 21. A woman allegedly stole 4 pairs of Nike sneakers and assorted merchandise valued at over $400.
Farmingville
■ The Burlington Store on North Ocean Avenue in Farmingville reported a shoplifter on March 24. A woman allegedly stole 26 pieces of assorted clothing, a handbag and toys. The merchandise was valued at approximately $340.
Hauppauge
■ A resident on Devonshire Road in Hauppauge called the police after an Amazon package that was reported delivered was not found by the homeowner. A porch pirate was suspected.
Huntington Station
■ A man allegedly stole three Ember Mugs from a Target on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station on March 25. The total value of the merchandise was $429.
■ Target on East Jericho Turnpike in Huntington Station reported a shoplifter on March 22. A man allegedly put 7 massage guns worth $1134 in a duffel bag and walked out of the store without paying.
■ Ulta Beauty on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station called the police on March 24 to report that two men entered the store, allegedly placed 92 perfume bottles in bags, and fled. The merchandise was valued at over $9000.
■ Gucci on Walt Whitman Road in Huntington Station reported a shoplifter on March 21. A woman allegedly took a Padlock Gucci bag off of the shelf, put it under her jacked and walked out of the store without paying. The handbag was valued at $1950.
Kings Park
■ A resident on Springmeadow Road in Kings Park reported that two men stole his unlocked vehicle, a 2013 BMW 328i worth $15,000, on March 25. The keys had been left inside the vehicle.
Lake Grove
■ Ulta Beauty on Middle Country Road in Lake Grove reported a grand larceny on March 25. Two men allegedly stole assorted fragrances worth $1500.
■ The Perfume Spot, a kiosk at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove, reported the theft of 5 Creed fragrances on March 21. The perfumes were valued at $2175.
Miller Place
■ An unknown person broke into and stole items from at least five vehicles in the Miller Place and Mt. Sinai areas between March 26 and March 27. Most of the incidents took place between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Mount Sinai
■ A woman visiting Heritage Park on Mount Sinai Coram Road in Mount Sinai called the police on March 25 after returning to her car and noticing that her purse was missing. Her vehicle had been unlocked.
Port Jefferson Station
■ Asphalt Supply on LI on Comsewogue Road in Port Jefferson Station was the victim of a grand larceny on March 23. Video captured a man stealing a S650 Bobcat loader worth $60,000 from the yard.
Rocky Point
■ The police were called to Kohls on Route 25A in Rocky Point after a man and a woman allegedly stole assorted clothing worth $1044 on March 21.
■ A resident on Laurel Road in Rocky Point reported that someone stole an iPhone and a wallet containing credit cards from his unlocked car in the driveway on March 18.
Selden
■ Target on Middle Country in Selden called the police on March 22 to report that a man allegedly stole a stand mixer worth $380 and a coffeemaker worth $190.
■ Target on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on March 24. A man allegedly stole a KitchenAid worth $380, a Keurig worth $130 and a microwave valued at $80.
■ Home Depot on Middle Country Road in Selden reported a shoplifter on March 21. A man allegedly stole a Milwaukee chainsaw worth $269.
South Setauket
■ Home Depot on Pond Path in South Setauket reported a petit larceny on March 25. A man allegedly stole three assorted tools valued at $950.
Stony Brook
■ Lowes on Nesconset Highway in Stony Brook called the police on March 26 to report the theft of merchandise. A man allegedly stole a Bosch Laser Level worth $650, 3 Lithium Ion power tool batteries worth $510 and a Metabo power tool combo kit worth $300.
Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS.
The Port Jefferson Middle School Science Olympiad team came in third place at the Suffolk County Regional Division B Science Olympiad Competition, held at Candlewood Middle School in Dix Hills.
Students from grades 6 to 9 competed against 30 teams in events which tested their study skills in earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering and scientific problem-solving. The students did extremely well, receiving a total of 29 medals between the A, B and C teams. The Science Olympiad team will be competing on April 8 and 9, in the state competition at East Syracuse Minoa Central High School in Syracuse. The team is coached by Adam Bouchard, the middle school earth science and science 8 teacher.
“Every student was highly motivated and showed a lot of hard work in preparing for their events,” Bouchard said. “It truly showed this year with the team’s all-around terrific performance.” Photo from PJSD
“Propaganda begins when dialogue ends.” — Jacques Ellul
Democracy cannot flourish without a well-informed, enlightened public.
Many miles away from Long Island, against a backdrop of a momentous war in Ukraine, there is another war for the public consciousness of people everywhere. It is a war against a free and independent press, against openness and transparency with the public, and against truth itself. In moments of greatest agitation, those who most fear the truth will do whatever it takes to bury it.
During a teach-in last week at Stony Brook University, Distinguished Professor Leonie Huddy of the Department of Political Science, said, “We are also in a propaganda war.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists is a nonprofit that promotes independent journalism and defends press freedom worldwide. According to the CPJ website, five journalists have already been killed since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24. With abhorrent regularity, journalists are now being targeted and killed.
Aware of the risks, Louise Callaghan, a Middle East correspondent for The Sunday Times of London and virtual panelist at the SBU teach-in, told the audience that she will return to the warzone to report the situation in Ukraine on the ground.
From the bomb shelters of devastated Mariupol to the Long Island North Shore, journalists have incredible responsibility. The Founding Fathers wrote freedom of the press into the First Amendment of the Constitution because they understood journalism was a necessary deterrent to unchecked power. Journalists shine light upon those who hide behind the shadows of deception, whose greatest weapons are disinformation and fear, as not even their nukes can topple what is true.
Right now, dictators and their propagandists are waging a war of ideas, seeking the total annihilation of reason and free thought. Journalists, such as Callaghan, are among our last lines of defense. Whether one is a local reporter on Long Island or a foreign correspondent in Ukraine, the principle remains. So long as journalists are there to shine light on the powerful and the wicked, to distill fact-driven, unfiltered information to the public, then autocrats and their propagandists will never prevail.
This staff editorial is dedicated to the journalists who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the name of transparency and truth.
Stony Brook University students and members of the media took part in the March 23 teach-in. Photo from SBU
During a teach-in at Stony Brook University March 23, a panel of professors gave their take on the invasion of Ukraine, including perspectives on the war, propaganda efforts and the impact on American public opinion.
Alexander Orlov
Orlov is a professor of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. He is an expert on the parliament of the European Union and the government of the United Kingdom. According to him, who has many relatives still in Ukraine, a dangerous propaganda campaign has been waged by the Kremlin.
“There is one very hurtful part of the propaganda,” Orlov said. “Russians call Ukrainians Nazis. This is so offensive to the memory of the 7 million Ukrainians who died during World War II.”
According to Orlov, this is not the first time in Ukrainian history that Russians have bombarded Ukrainian territory. He also said Ukrainians are a freedom-loving people.
We live in a highly partisan, polarized context.
— Leonie Huddy
“I talked to my mom yesterday and asked her about her biggest fear,” he said. “She told me that the biggest fear she has is to be forgotten by the West because, at some point, you might get tired of the images of human suffering and stop paying attention.” Orlov added, “Ukrainians are like you. They want freedom and free enterprise, and they want to dream. Many of the Ukrainians that are fighting right now are the age of Stony Brook students and they’ve never held a rifle before in their lives.”
Leonie Huddy
Huddy, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Political Science, addressed the impact of the Ukrainian invasion on American public opinion.
“There’s a very common effect in foreign policy attitudes when the U.S. engages in war, when it sends troops to other countries, and it’s called the rally effect,” Huddy said. “There hasn’t been any rally effect by any stretch of the imagination.”
According to her, Americans are so divided and the political culture is so partisan that Americans cannot even agree on the proper foreign policy approach to the war in Ukraine.
“We live in a highly partisan, polarized context,” she said. “I don’t think you can get much worse than this. Things are looking pretty bad in terms of just how divided we are.”
Huddy believes that the looming midterm elections will have a pronounced impact on how Americans address the war in Ukraine.
“One of the reasons for this is that we have congressional elections approaching,” she said. “I think the Republican Party is thinking there’s a potential for success so it’s very important not to give an inch to the Democrats right now. We have the heels dug in.”
John Frederick Bailyn
Bailyn is professor in the Linguistics Department and co-director of Virtual NYI Global Institute. According to him, the invasion of Ukraine prompted a massive effort by the Russian government to repress domestic opposition.
“February 24, 2022, was a day that has changed the course of Ukraine and also Russia forever,” Bailyn said. “Anything ‘fake’ about the war, which is entirely up to [the Kremlin], is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.”
According to Bailyn, there are plenty of Russians who support the invasion of Ukraine, but there is also a large exodus of people leaving the country.
“People have been leaving in droves,” he said. “People are all having to decide if they should leave everything they know — their entire lives. Many people are deciding to do that because this is just far beyond anything that they have seen before.”
Vladimir Putin grew up in postwar Leningrad, a city that had survived almost 900 days of siege.
— Jonathan Sanders
Jonathan Sanders
Sanders is associate professor in the School of Communication and Journalism and a former Moscow correspondent for CBS News. He has met the Russian president personally and described in vivid detail the psychology of the man coordinating the invasion effort.
“Vladimir Putin grew up in postwar Leningrad, a city that had survived almost 900 days of siege, a city in which his baby brother had died, a city in which rats were eating corpses and people were eating corpses,” Sanders said. “He was an individualist, an alienated, bad kid. He played with rats,” adding, “The rat is probably the best metaphor for him — not the nice little white rats that we see in the psychology labs, but really mean, vicious little rats, whose predecessors survived the second world war by eating people.”
Sanders said that the rebellious streak in Putin dates back to early childhood. According to the professor, it was highly unusual for Putin to reject the politics of his father but he did so as an act of individualism and revolt.
“Mr. Putin was an individualist,” Sanders said. “His father was a true believing Communist and young Vladimir did not join the Young Communist League, something extremely unusual.” Sanders added, “He was a hooligan, a street kid.”
John Keating, manager of economic development for PSEGLI, announces initiative to invest in downtown areas during a press conference on Monday.
Photo from PSEGLI
On March 28, in honor of Tuesday’s National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day, representatives of PSEG Long Island met with public officials and business leaders at PJ Lobster House to announce an initiative to revitalize Long Island’s downtown areas.
Representing PSEGLI was John Keating, manager of economic development, and Michael Voltz, director of energy efficiency and renewables. According to Keating, small business districts are the engine behind Long Island’s regional economy.
“We’re celebrating this National Mom and Pop Business Day by announcing that we are adding $500,000 to our programs for small businesses for 2022,” Keating said. “To bring more people into your downtown, we offer a main street revitalization program which offers $25,000 grants for anyone who wants to renovate that property and make it more appealing for people.”
In addition to these beautification investments, PSEGLI will also offer a vacant space program. According to Keating, investments in vacant spaces are a way to remove blemishes from local business districts.
“We’ve all been to downtowns and when you see a lot of vacant spaces it really doesn’t make you want to spend a lot of time in that downtown,” he said. “We created this vacant space revitalization program to occupy a space that was vacant for at least a year and we can give you a discount on your first year’s energy.”
Voltz discussed the various improvements made through these grants by James Luciano, owner of PJ Lobster House. According to Voltz, due to this investment the restaurant now operates with greater energy efficiency.
“You see the beautiful lamps and chandeliers — all LED lighting,” he said. “LED lighting is very efficient. We provided a rebate of about $1,200 for all of the various LED lamps in this building and that’s going to save James about $500 each and every year.” He added, “It’s good for small business, it’s good for his expenses and it helps PSEG Long Island by reducing the strain on our electric grid.”
Small businesses are what give a community a sense of place and a sense of identity.
— Jonathan Kornreich
Luciano, whose business relocated in June 2021, said PSEGLI had offered him the vacant space grant, enabling him to save money on energy. According to him, this had provided much-needed relief to his small business at a time when it was most needed.
“We had PSEG come down to our chamber [of commerce] and they introduced the programs they had and we were able to take advantage of the vacant space grant, which actually helped us out tremendously,” Luciano said. “We saved over $10,000 the first year on the energy that we used. We were also given during COVID the outdoor grants as well,” adding, “Starting out at a new location, that money definitely goes a long way, so PSEG is definitely a great partner to have in the community.”
Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D) thanked PSEGLI for supporting local businesses during their time of need. He welcomed the partnership between PSEGLI, local government and small businesses.
“Small businesses are what give a community a sense of place and a sense of identity for a lot of the families that live in those areas,” Kornreich said. “PSEG Long Island gets that and we appreciate you helping carry a lot of those businesses during the dark times of the pandemic.” He added, “Now that the pandemic is coming to an end, you’re helping to keep the lights on and we appreciate that.”
Mary Joy Pipe, owner of The East End Shirt Co. and president of Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, discussed the cooperation between the chamber and PSEGLI. She suggested that investments such as these require foresight and ingenuity to be successful.
“A lot of foresight was given to how this could be an advantage for the small businesses in our community,” she said. “Thank you to PSEG for that foresight.”
To learn more about the grant programs offered by PSEGLI, visit the website www.psegliny.com/inthecommunity/revitalization.
Stacy Davidson, right, is donating prom dresses this year.
Stacy Davidson of Pattern Finders/Stacy’s Finds in Port Jefferson knows how unexpected expenses can be difficult especially during these unpredictable times. To help local families, she wishes to donate gowns and tuxedos to enable a wonderful experience for local seniors who might have to skip the event due to monetary issues.
“My amazing customers always answer the call for a prom drive. Rather than limit the young ladies to the donated gowns, I will make my entire vast inventory of spectacular gowns and formal dressesavailable for the girls to come to the shop and choose from. Fedora Lounge Boutique Hair Salon in Port Jefferson is one of the local salons donating hair styling for some of the girls and Give Kids Hope in the village will also supply the students in need,” said Davidson.
Located at 128 East Main Street, Port Jefferson, Pattern Finders is open Wednesday through Sunday. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 631-928-5158.
Theresa Livingston outside of Harbor Square Mall, where her new Bar Method studio will soon open.
Photo by Julianne Mosher
By Julianne Mosher
Something new is heading into Port Jefferson village.
The Bar Method, a workout studio that was designed with high repetition and low impact resistance training, is officially set to open its third Long Island location right in Port Jefferson.
Theresa Livingston, the franchise owner, said she fell in love with barre almost a decade ago, but during the COVID-19 pandemic realized she wanted to bring this method close to home.
“As I got older, my joints really started to hurt and it just wasn’t maintainable anymore,” the Selden mom said. “I was looking for something that’s easy on the body and I found barre. It just works.”
Livingston said that in barre practice, one matches the working in the muscle to stretching where you lengthen and strengthen.“It’s just something you can do forever,” she said.
The Bar Method is all about educating our students, how they can be in tune with their body.
— Theresa Livingston
During the pandemic, Livingston said she started trying The Bar Method through their online classes and she knew it was the right fit.
Compared to other barre studios, instructors for The Bar Method have “hours and hours” of training, Livingston said.
“We work with personal trainers, we’re taught proper alignment and modifications, and then we work in the studio to train for months before becoming an instructor,” she added.
According to the company’s website, The Bar Method exercises also include elements of Pilates, yoga and other strength training workouts fused into a ballet-inspired barre workout.
But Livingston said one doesn’t necessarily have to have a dance background to succeed and see results.
“The choreography that we do is easy to follow,” she said, “We have so many different props and equipment that you can use to help and bars in the room or different heights. So, everything can be modified.”
While Livingston was practicing online, she also traveled to The Bar Method’s only two other locations on Long Island — Huntington and Roslyn.
The commutes were long, so she said, “Let’s get one closer to us.”
“I just thought I thought the village would be the perfect spot for this,” she said. “It’s such a community. People live here, they shop here and they want to stay here. So, I just felt like it would be great to have The Bar Method here.”
Livingston signed her franchise agreement in September and officially locked in the space inside Harbor Square Mall at the end of October.
Located right on Main Street, The Bar Method is planned to take over the back part of the mall with its own entrance right next to PJ Lobster House. Livingston said that when a student walks in, the plan includes a big, open lobby featuring different apparel and retail. Inside, the studio space will have roughly 30 bar spots along with a locker room, makeup area and showers.
Livingston is anticipating a summer opening and for now is looking to get the word out about the method and what it’s all about.
“The Bar Method is all about educating our students, how they can be in tune with their body and know what’s happening,” she said. “It’s a workout that just kind of fits whatever it is they need.”
In the interim, Livingston said that she and her instructors are planning free community lessons that will pop up around the village.
For more updates on Port Jeff’s new workout spot, interested students can follow on Instagram @barmethodportjeffvillage.
The Earl L. Vandermeulen High School Science Olympiad team participated in the New York State Science Olympiad competition at Lemoyne College in Syracuse on March 19 and 20. The team placed 20th overall out of 60 teams from throughout the state.
There were 23 events in various STEM and science-related topics. The top 10 pairs of students in each event earned a medal.
Port Jefferson medal winners earned three state medals in bridges, forensics and remote sensing including 8th Place, Forensics – Gavin Onghai and Michelle Wu; 8th Place, Remote Sensing – Hugo Onghai and Benjamin Perez-Flesler; and 9th Place, Bridges – Teppei Fukuto and Riley Perrotta
“We continue to be impressed by our high school Science Olympiad students in their hard work and success,” co-coach Melissa Garcia said.
Co-coach Amanda Brideson added, “We are exceptionally proud of our entire team for not only their academic achievements but also displaying excellent sportsmanship and kindness the entire trip toward other competing teams.”
In addition to Ms. Brideson and Ms. Garcia, chaperones Mr. Gregory Gorniok and Mr. Dannie Holland joined the students.
With Port Jefferson pride, the team members congratulate competitors Ward Melville High School on their success and wish them all the luck at nationals. Photo from PJSD
As travel-related restrictions from COVID-19 continue to ease, people are considering heading out on the road, to the airport, the pier, or the train station, eager to feed their curiosity and hunger about different regions and cultures.
Dr. Daniel Jamorabo is the assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine. Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine
While these travelers may be excited about the flavor of the unknown, their stomachs may not be as thrilled with these journeys, demanding attention at inopportune times or threatening to revolt with the biological equivalent of a magma eruption.
Local gastroenterologists — stomach doctors — urged travelers to take precautions as they prepare for journeys to exotic locations, on cruises or even across the country.
“Depending on where people are traveling, they may need shots,” said Dr. David Purow, a gastroenterologist at Huntington Hospital. Some areas might have a higher incidence of cholera or traveler’s diarrhea, which is typically an E. coli infection, he added. People often refer to it as Montezuma’s revenge.
Purow suggested consulting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website initially, although the government organization which has coordinated much of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic is considered a conservative organization.
Purow urged travelers to search for whether pathogens are endemic to an area, which could include reading message boards. Those boards, however, can be as reliable as so much of the rest of the material on the web, he said, which means residents should use their own judgment about the reliability of what they read.
Upset stomachs can come from a host of sources, including food that’s been out for an extended period or from various forms of contaminated water.
“Always be wary of foods that are room temperature,” said Dr. Daniel Jamorabo, a gastroenterologist and assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine. “That’s often how people get food poisoning. Listeria is common in dairy, such as goat cheese.”
Water
Often the source of upset stomachs that can put a porcelain damper on traveling, water can cause problems for travelers.
Prior to becoming a gastroenterologist, Jamorabo himself visited Kenya, where he unwittingly picked up the parasite Giardia, which is also a threat to people drinking creek or river water on camping trips.
Jamorabo was sick for three weeks, which encouraged him on future trips to stick to bottled water during his travels for peace of mind.
When bottled water isn’t accessible, he suggested drinking boiled water or using purifier tablets. Some tablets can take up to two hours to purify a gallon of water, although others, which afford less protection, take 35 to
40 minutes.
Jamorabo said salads or fruits, which are peeled or prepared with sources of water that are hard to track, can be
a problem.
He suggested asking residents whether they have filtration systems in their homes or if they use bottled water.
Purow added that “if there is concern, use bottled water as much as you can.”
What to bring
Doctors suggested that people tend to bring stomach remedies with them when they travel, sometimes even taking them prophylactically.
Purow said some people bring probiotics, which are “unlikely to hurt you and may decrease the chance of getting anything or shortening the duration once it’s acquired.”
Pepto Bismol and Imodium could also help prevent or treat an upset stomach, particularly for people who are anxious travelers and who get so-called “traveler’s diarrhea,” doctors said.
Purow warned that people could get black stools from some of these medications, which could also be a warning sign of a gastrointestinal bleed or ulcer.
Taking these medications for symptomatic relief, however, is “fine” and will “not suppress” the need to remove something from the body, Purow added.
One of the dangers of diarrhea is that it can cause dehydration, as the body loses necessary fluids.
Jamorabo suggested traveling with or searching for Pedialyte as a way to restore hydration.
As for the dangers of going on cruise ships, doctors recommended being careful about touching tongs or servers at buffets that many other travelers, who might have brought their own pathogens with them, might also have handled.
“On these cruises, it’s like traveling in a small city,” Jamorabo said. Stomach bugs can “spread like wildfire.”
“Always be wary of foods that are room temperature. That’s often how people get food poisoning. Listeria is common in dairy, such as goat cheese.”
— Dr. Daniel Jamorabo
Mental health
Even for those who stay at home, people may be struggling with their stomach’s response to the mental health strain created by COVID-19, the Russian attack on Ukraine, and concerns about issues like violent storm and global warming.
Stomach doctors have increasingly referred patients to psychologists and psychiatrists.
“Stress can exacerbate” irritable bowel syndrome, said Purow. Concerns about the state of the world have “unmasked GI symptoms for those who didn’t have it before.”
Purow has seen a significant increase in alcoholic liver disease, as people stuck at home raided their own liquor cabinet amid health threats, lockdowns and economic uncertainty.
Jamorabo said more stressful times can lead to an increase in stomach-related discomfort or symptoms.
“We have to pay attention to what triggers people” to have panic attacks, nausea or diarrhea, Jamorabo added.
An under-treated mood disorder could compound GI-related symptoms.
Focusing on the things people can control can help soothe the stomach, such as sleeping well, exercising and eating a healthy diet.
“Look within yourself for your own mental health,” Purow suggested. Outlets such as bottles of vodka don’t tend to help, while speaking to friends and family and eating right can aid overall health, giving digestive systems relief and resilience.
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