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  • Dealing with H1N1 while in college

    Dealing with H1N1 while in college
    By Lauren Joffe, New York University


    Yes, swine flu is widespread -- and college campuses are particularly vulnerable to the virus known as H1N1. Colleges in India and Ireland had temporary closings due to outbreaks. And the problem is hitting close to home as more and more students are affected at universities in the United States. But although swine flu can be deadly, deaths from the illness are rare and there are ways to protect yourself.

    The Straight-up Facts

    The American College Health Association has been tracking campus cases of influenza-like illnesses (ILI) weekly. From October 31 to November 6 in 2009, a whopping 98 percent of institutions surveyed reported new ILI cases. The attack rate was 29 cases per 10,000 students -- up 35 percent from mid-October -- showing a significant surge in flu-like illnesses on campuses. That?s the bad news. The good news is that there were no deaths.

    ?Among this sample of over 3 million students, we have now observed nearly 74,000 cases of ILI since late August,? attests Dr. James C. Turner, ACHA president and executive director of the department of student health at University of Virginia. ?Still there have been only 138 hospitalizations and no deaths, indicating this disease remains generally mild.?

    ?This influenza is not all that different from the seasonal influenza,? says Dr. Leslie Selbovitz, chief medical officer and senior vice president for medical affairs at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts. ?The vast majority of those who contract the virus have no greater severity of illness than one typically gets with seasonal influenza.?

    Sebastian Grant, a junior at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, recounts having a sore throat, bad cough and fever when he decided to visit the health center. ?The doctor did two tests, and three days later, I was told I did, in fact, have H1N1,? recounts Grant. ?The first test they did was an immediate screening, which came back negative. But they also did a more official throat culture, and that came back positive. They put me on Tamiflu and told me to stay in my room. Within a day or two, the Tamiflu kicked in, and my fever finally broke after four days.? In addition to taking Tamiflu, Grant drank lots of fluids, smoothies and chicken soup.

    Campus Outbreak

    ?Everyone here has swine flu,? says Samantha Narins, a junior at Lehigh University. ?Professors, a majority of the student body -- so many people that they stopped testing at the health center and just diagnosed. When one person has something at Lehigh, everyone does.?

    According to Grant, Lehigh has developed a policy that requires infected students to stay in their rooms and meals to be delivered to them: ?I live in a quad with three other people, and the person I share a room with had the virus at the same time as me. We both quarantined ourselves and remained in the room for about a week. As for our other roommates, they ended up going home to avoid catching anything.?

    The H1N1 virus was first detected in the United States this past April. In June, the World Health Organization stated that an official pandemic was under way. And with Lehigh reporting nearly 600 outbreaks of H1N1, university officials are doing everything they can to keep students healthy. Grant says the school has been distributing free H1N1 vaccinations on campus as well as providing hand sanitizers in most public facilities.

    An Ounce of Prevention

    Seriously, can a little hand sanitizer literally be a lifesaver? We turned to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for advice on keeping you out of the infirmary:
    ? Yes, wash your hands! Cleanse thoroughly with soap and water for at least 30 seconds before and after eating and using the restroom. Selbovitz also encourages regular use of an alcohol-based cleanser: ?After you shake hands with someone, don?t be embarrassed to use the hand solution. We should disseminate the idea that it is socially acceptable -- even appropriate -- to use Purell or some equivalent. It is smart and will limit the virus.?
    ? Cough and sneeze politely, please. The CDC is urging the public to be vigilant about sneezing and coughing properly. If there is no tissue at hand, sneeze and cough into the nook of your elbow or shoulder. This will squelch the number of contagious germs flying around in the atmosphere. When contagious germs make it into the air, they land on tabletops and keyboards, where they can live for days.
    ? Pick up a clean routine. Because contagions can survive so long on inanimate objects, the CDC recommends frequent cleaning of such high-touch surfaces as bathrooms, doorknobs and tables. Keep disposable wipes handy to wipe down keyboards, remote controls and desks before each use.
    ? Take one for the team. Events such as football games or concerts that involve large groups pose a higher risk of flu transmission. The CDC recommends using email, posters, flyers and media coverage to discourage attendance by people with flu-like symptoms. CDC guidelines even go so far as to suggest that consideration should be given to canceling some events if there is a high level of flu activity within the community.
    ? Caretakers, take care! Medical students who work in clinics follow infection control guidance for health care workers. Get familiar with the CDC?s swine flu resources for clinicians.

    To Vaccinate or Not

    This really is the question on everyone?s mind. According to Selbovitz, healthy students and those with existing medical conditions should get vaccinated: ?The vaccine is highly effective and safe. While the supply is still limited because of production, anyone from age 6 months to 24 years is in the targeted group to receive the H1N1 vaccine.?

    If you are all but thrilled about the injection process, there is a nasal spray for the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines. And because contracting one strain doesn?t mean you won?t get another strain, Selbovitz encourages students to receive immunizations for both.

    Suck It up or Stick It out?

    You feel miserable. Your head, muscles and throat ache. You have a runny nose, cough and fever. You probably have the flu. But at what point should you seek medical attention?

    Dr. Todd Crocco, chair of the department of emergency medicine at West Virginia University, where well over 600 students have been infected, says that in most cases, the best thing to do when you think you have the flu -- whether it?s seasonal or swine flu -- is simply to stay home: ?Rest, drink plenty of fluids like water or sports drinks, and take Motrin or Tylenol for your fever.?

    To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, flu sufferers should try to stay home for at least a week and not go out until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without Tylenol or Motrin, according to Crocco.

    When to see a doc? Crocco recommends you see a physician if you display the following symptoms:
    ? Fast or difficult breathing
    ? Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
    ? Dizziness or confusion
    ? Severe or persistent vomiting
    ? Inability to hold down fluids
    ? Sudden return of symptoms (could be a sign of pneumonia)

    Will there be a test? At the time of treatment, patients may or may not receive a rapid flu test, which is a swab of the nostrils. Some patients with flu-like symptoms will simply be treated as if they have it, Crocco says. High-risk patients are more likely to be tested.

    What is the treatment? Depending on their symptoms and age, some patients, like Grant, receive Tamiflu, says Crocco. ?[Tamiflu is] not a magic bullet. It doesn?t work on the flu virus the way an antibiotic works on a bacterial infection,? says Crocco. ?It may help reduce the symptoms and contagious period, but it is not a cure.?

    What about missing class? Don?t worry about absences, as professors are aware of the H1N1 pandemic. In fact, the CDC is encouraging faculties to lighten up on their absenteeism policies, even recommending that universities allow high-risk students who haven?t contracted the virus to stay home in the event of a campus-wide outbreak.

    What else? Avoid activities (like Beirut) that require sharing a cup!

    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

  • #2
    Re: Dealing with H1N1 while in college

    More bureaucratic "mumbo-jumbo". When my asthmatic son contracted "the swine", I called the dean's office to find out the protocol. I was told they wanted him fever-free for 48 hours before he returned...but, the policy was left up to the individual instructors. Worst-case: If he missed too much and instructors wouldn't let him make it up, then he could ask the dean to apply his tuition to next semester...and they would consider it. Well, my son didn't want to retake any class, nor wait for the possibility that he wouldn't have to pay a second time, so he went to class not feeling well. He stayed far from people and exhausted himself more. So much for "safeguards".

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