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Colleges front lines for H1N1 outbreaks
By TONY LEYS ? tleys@dmreg.com ? September 13, 2009
Decorah, Ia. - Desi Mantey has advice for college students facing the threat of the new H1N1 flu: "Don't freak out about it," she said. "It's not the end of the world."
The Luther College freshman knows more than she'd like to on the subject. She came down with the flu last weekend, and she spent a miserable week battling fever, coughs, aches, fatigue and nausea. She had to wear a surgical mask to protect visitors from the virus, and until Friday night she was allowed to leave her dorm room only to go to the restroom down the hall.
Several dozen of Luther College's 2,500 students have been stricken by the new bug since classes resumed Sept. 2. The University of Iowa also has had a significant outbreak, with about 200 illnesses among its 26,000 students. Other Iowa colleges have either seen a few cases or expect to soon.
Some colleges across the country have experienced much larger outbreaks. One of the worst is at Washington State University in Pullman, where 2,600 of 18,000 students had reported H1N1 symptoms to university health officials by midweek, according to the Associated Press, but none had been hospitalized.
Luther officials say the virus has spread quickly among students, but it isn't causing illnesses serious enough to require hospitalization. The same pattern is being reported at colleges around the country.
Jerry Johnson, Luther's spokesman and the head of its pandemic-response committee, said the H1N1 illnesses here so far have been less severe than common bugs that hit every other winter or so. "If this is a test of our pandemic plans, it's not a very severe test," he said.
Health experts continue to caution that the H1N1 virus could mutate and cause greater numbers of serious illnesses and deaths. But even if it remains in its current form, the new flu is no fun.
Mantey had never been so sick in her 18 years. During the worst of it, she had a fever over 103 degrees, and she threw up about eight times in one day.
"I had chills and body aches and everything," she said. "It was terrible."
She was checked over at a hospital emergency room early Monday, then told to either return home to Minnesota or stay holed up in her dorm room until 24 hours after her fever subsided. Like most of Luther's ill students, she chose to stay on campus, even though her mother volunteered to come get her.
"I didn't think a four-and-a-half-hour car ride was going to make me feel better," she said Thursday afternoon, with a laugh that turned into a muffled cough.
Luther's epidemic plan hasn't been needed
Johnson, the college official, said there's no apparent reason why Luther and some other schools saw outbreaks as soon as classes resumed and others haven't been hit yet.
"I'm not an epidemiologist, but I'd be astounded if this doesn't sweep across every college campus in the country in the next few months," he said. "If you wanted to create an environment where a disease like this would spread, a college campus would be it."
College students eat together in dining halls, study together in classrooms and live together on dorm floors. As young adults, they're in a prime age group for infection with H1N1, which hasn't been striking older people as hard.
On the advice of public health experts, Luther officials have quit testing most suspected H1N1 cases. They already know the virus is present on campus, and the most accurate tests take several days to yield results. By then, most patients already are on the mend.
Johnson said Luther leaders spent several years planning for an outbreak of flu or other diseases. Their discussions included what to do if students became seriously sick. If that happened, many ill students who didn't need hospitalization would be transported home. Those who couldn't go home would be taken in by volunteers in the community, he said.
Those measures haven't been needed. Luther officials are stressing careful hand washing and other infection-control practices. But they haven't canceled any activities, and they don't plan to. Students who are ill and choose to stay on campus are asked to stay in their dorm rooms as much as possible. They may leave to go to the bathroom, but they must wear face masks whenever they're around other people. The college is not recommending they take prescription antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu, because the medicines don't seem to be more effective than over-the-counter fever reducers in fighting relatively mild cases, Johnson said.
Students not worried about H1N1 outbreak
Viruses may be in the air at Luther, but panic is not. Students continue to gather in the dining room, show up for class and toss Frisbees on the lawn.
Chris Erickson, 19, a freshman from Lakeville, Minn., said the flu outbreak was unnerving at first. "It's kind of calmed down. People aren't really worried as much," he said.
Mantey's roommate, Annie Klepper of Algona, decided not to move out of their dorm room while Mantey recovered. Klepper figured she already was exposed to the virus, so she might as well stick around to help her friend. She fetched meals from the cafeteria and ran other errands as part of an unofficial buddy system the college has set up for ill students.
Klepper, 18, said her parents didn't seem overly worried about the outbreak or her choice to stay with her ill roommate. "It's just like any flu, I guess," she said.
The two young women hadn't met before being paired by the college. Mantey said she appreciated Klepper's support. The flu ordeal is an unusual way to get to know your roommate, she said, but "it's actually made us closer."
And now that Mantey is recovered, she should be immune to the virus. That could make her an ideal nursemaid if Klepper comes down with it.
Recommendations for colleges
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued these policy recommendations for colleges:
- People with flu-like illness should stay away from classes and limit interactions with other people, except to seek medical care, until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
- Students with flu-like illness whose hometowns are relatively close to the campus should return to their homes if possible to keep from making others sick. These students should be instructed to do so in a way that limits contact with others as much as possible. For example, travel by private car or taxi would be preferable over use of public transportation.
- Students with a private room should remain in their room and receive care and meals from one other person. Students can establish a "flu buddy scheme" in which students pair up to care for each other if one becomes ill. Additionally, staff can make daily contact by e-mail, text messaging, phone calls or other methods with each student who is in self-isolation.
- If close contact with others cannot be avoided, the ill student should be asked to wear a surgical mask during the period of contact. Close contact includes things like caring for or living with the ill person.
- For those who cannot leave campus, and who do not have a private room, colleges may consider providing temporary alternative housing.
- Students with flu-like illness should promptly seek medical attention if they have a medical condition that puts them at increased risk of severe illness from flu, are concerned about their illness, or develop severe symptoms such as increased fever, shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, or rapid breathing.
By TONY LEYS ? tleys@dmreg.com ? September 13, 2009
Decorah, Ia. - Desi Mantey has advice for college students facing the threat of the new H1N1 flu: "Don't freak out about it," she said. "It's not the end of the world."
The Luther College freshman knows more than she'd like to on the subject. She came down with the flu last weekend, and she spent a miserable week battling fever, coughs, aches, fatigue and nausea. She had to wear a surgical mask to protect visitors from the virus, and until Friday night she was allowed to leave her dorm room only to go to the restroom down the hall.
Several dozen of Luther College's 2,500 students have been stricken by the new bug since classes resumed Sept. 2. The University of Iowa also has had a significant outbreak, with about 200 illnesses among its 26,000 students. Other Iowa colleges have either seen a few cases or expect to soon.
Some colleges across the country have experienced much larger outbreaks. One of the worst is at Washington State University in Pullman, where 2,600 of 18,000 students had reported H1N1 symptoms to university health officials by midweek, according to the Associated Press, but none had been hospitalized.
Luther officials say the virus has spread quickly among students, but it isn't causing illnesses serious enough to require hospitalization. The same pattern is being reported at colleges around the country.
Jerry Johnson, Luther's spokesman and the head of its pandemic-response committee, said the H1N1 illnesses here so far have been less severe than common bugs that hit every other winter or so. "If this is a test of our pandemic plans, it's not a very severe test," he said.
Health experts continue to caution that the H1N1 virus could mutate and cause greater numbers of serious illnesses and deaths. But even if it remains in its current form, the new flu is no fun.
Mantey had never been so sick in her 18 years. During the worst of it, she had a fever over 103 degrees, and she threw up about eight times in one day.
"I had chills and body aches and everything," she said. "It was terrible."
She was checked over at a hospital emergency room early Monday, then told to either return home to Minnesota or stay holed up in her dorm room until 24 hours after her fever subsided. Like most of Luther's ill students, she chose to stay on campus, even though her mother volunteered to come get her.
"I didn't think a four-and-a-half-hour car ride was going to make me feel better," she said Thursday afternoon, with a laugh that turned into a muffled cough.
Luther's epidemic plan hasn't been needed
Johnson, the college official, said there's no apparent reason why Luther and some other schools saw outbreaks as soon as classes resumed and others haven't been hit yet.
"I'm not an epidemiologist, but I'd be astounded if this doesn't sweep across every college campus in the country in the next few months," he said. "If you wanted to create an environment where a disease like this would spread, a college campus would be it."
College students eat together in dining halls, study together in classrooms and live together on dorm floors. As young adults, they're in a prime age group for infection with H1N1, which hasn't been striking older people as hard.
On the advice of public health experts, Luther officials have quit testing most suspected H1N1 cases. They already know the virus is present on campus, and the most accurate tests take several days to yield results. By then, most patients already are on the mend.
Johnson said Luther leaders spent several years planning for an outbreak of flu or other diseases. Their discussions included what to do if students became seriously sick. If that happened, many ill students who didn't need hospitalization would be transported home. Those who couldn't go home would be taken in by volunteers in the community, he said.
Those measures haven't been needed. Luther officials are stressing careful hand washing and other infection-control practices. But they haven't canceled any activities, and they don't plan to. Students who are ill and choose to stay on campus are asked to stay in their dorm rooms as much as possible. They may leave to go to the bathroom, but they must wear face masks whenever they're around other people. The college is not recommending they take prescription antiviral medications, such as Tamiflu, because the medicines don't seem to be more effective than over-the-counter fever reducers in fighting relatively mild cases, Johnson said.
Students not worried about H1N1 outbreak
Viruses may be in the air at Luther, but panic is not. Students continue to gather in the dining room, show up for class and toss Frisbees on the lawn.
Chris Erickson, 19, a freshman from Lakeville, Minn., said the flu outbreak was unnerving at first. "It's kind of calmed down. People aren't really worried as much," he said.
Mantey's roommate, Annie Klepper of Algona, decided not to move out of their dorm room while Mantey recovered. Klepper figured she already was exposed to the virus, so she might as well stick around to help her friend. She fetched meals from the cafeteria and ran other errands as part of an unofficial buddy system the college has set up for ill students.
Klepper, 18, said her parents didn't seem overly worried about the outbreak or her choice to stay with her ill roommate. "It's just like any flu, I guess," she said.
The two young women hadn't met before being paired by the college. Mantey said she appreciated Klepper's support. The flu ordeal is an unusual way to get to know your roommate, she said, but "it's actually made us closer."
And now that Mantey is recovered, she should be immune to the virus. That could make her an ideal nursemaid if Klepper comes down with it.
Recommendations for colleges
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued these policy recommendations for colleges:
- People with flu-like illness should stay away from classes and limit interactions with other people, except to seek medical care, until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines.
- Students with flu-like illness whose hometowns are relatively close to the campus should return to their homes if possible to keep from making others sick. These students should be instructed to do so in a way that limits contact with others as much as possible. For example, travel by private car or taxi would be preferable over use of public transportation.
- Students with a private room should remain in their room and receive care and meals from one other person. Students can establish a "flu buddy scheme" in which students pair up to care for each other if one becomes ill. Additionally, staff can make daily contact by e-mail, text messaging, phone calls or other methods with each student who is in self-isolation.
- If close contact with others cannot be avoided, the ill student should be asked to wear a surgical mask during the period of contact. Close contact includes things like caring for or living with the ill person.
- For those who cannot leave campus, and who do not have a private room, colleges may consider providing temporary alternative housing.
- Students with flu-like illness should promptly seek medical attention if they have a medical condition that puts them at increased risk of severe illness from flu, are concerned about their illness, or develop severe symptoms such as increased fever, shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, or rapid breathing.