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Update?H1N1 Virus
Posted on September 21, 2009
Dear Faculty and Staff:
This email message provides an update on the H1N1 flu at OCCC.
We have had only a few cases where employees have reported being ill with the flu. We are also monitoring student absences due to illness. At this time, we have a few cases of students who have reported being ill with the flu. So far, employee and student absence levels do not appear to be significantly higher than normal. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has indicated that Oklahoma is now listed as having ?widespread? cases of H1N1 flu; and therefore, absences by employees and students may become higher than normal in the days and weeks to come.
As a reminder, the CDC strongly advises that the best way to prevent the spread of the disease is to isolate those ill with the flu away from those who do not have the flu. We have implemented a number of recommendations designed to mitigate the spread of this flu on the OCCC campus and other OCCC locations.
? Employees with flu-like illness are asked to isolate themselves from other people and stay away from campus or their work site for at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without the assistance of fever-reducing medication.
? Supervisors have been encouraged to not require a doctor?s note for employees to validate that they are sick with the flu, as doctors? offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and may not be able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.
? Employees who develop flu-like symptoms should notify their supervisors immediately and should not come to work while ill with the flu.
? To help us make appropriate decisions based on factual data, OCCC will temporarily implement an absence-reporting system called FluWatch. Employees who are ill or caring for sick family members should notify their supervisors prior to the time they are scheduled to begin work. Supervisors will login to the FluWatch database and record staff absences on a daily basis. Please note that these reports generated from this database will only contain department names and the number of employees absent. Employee names will only be seen by the immediate supervisor in charge of recording absences.
? Consistent with the HIPPA and ADA requirements, OCCC will not provide to the public the names of employees or students who are reported to have the H1N1 flu. All faculty and staff are reminded that the health status of their fellow employees is to be treated as confidential information.
? OCCC is a Point of Delivery (POD) site for community vaccinations from the Oklahoma City/Oklahoma County Department of Health. This POD agreement may be activated for seasonal flu vaccinations sometime in October. If so, seasonal flu vaccinations will be administered to the community, including OCCC faculty, staff, and students on the main campus. When the arrangements are finalized, you will be notified.
? OCCC may also be a site where the H1N1 vaccine would be administered to the priority populations (students and employees under the age of 24 and pregnant women). If and when these arrangements are finalized, you will be provided detailed information regarding date, location, and eligibility.
Once again, for your information, the Center for Disease Control lists the following as flu-like symptoms:
? Fever (100 degrees or higher)
? Headache
? Extreme tiredness
? Dry cough
? Runny or stuffy nose
? Muscle aches
? Sore throat
? Vomiting
? Sometimes diarrhea
As the situation at OCCC changes, I will provide additional updates. Also, members of President?s Cabinet are provided weekly updates at our regular meeting. Should you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact your President?s Cabinet member or me.
Sincerely,
Paul Sechrist
President
Posted on September 21, 2009
Dear Faculty and Staff:
This email message provides an update on the H1N1 flu at OCCC.
We have had only a few cases where employees have reported being ill with the flu. We are also monitoring student absences due to illness. At this time, we have a few cases of students who have reported being ill with the flu. So far, employee and student absence levels do not appear to be significantly higher than normal. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has indicated that Oklahoma is now listed as having ?widespread? cases of H1N1 flu; and therefore, absences by employees and students may become higher than normal in the days and weeks to come.
As a reminder, the CDC strongly advises that the best way to prevent the spread of the disease is to isolate those ill with the flu away from those who do not have the flu. We have implemented a number of recommendations designed to mitigate the spread of this flu on the OCCC campus and other OCCC locations.
? Employees with flu-like illness are asked to isolate themselves from other people and stay away from campus or their work site for at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without the assistance of fever-reducing medication.
? Supervisors have been encouraged to not require a doctor?s note for employees to validate that they are sick with the flu, as doctors? offices and medical facilities may be extremely busy and may not be able to provide such documentation in a timely manner.
? Employees who develop flu-like symptoms should notify their supervisors immediately and should not come to work while ill with the flu.
? To help us make appropriate decisions based on factual data, OCCC will temporarily implement an absence-reporting system called FluWatch. Employees who are ill or caring for sick family members should notify their supervisors prior to the time they are scheduled to begin work. Supervisors will login to the FluWatch database and record staff absences on a daily basis. Please note that these reports generated from this database will only contain department names and the number of employees absent. Employee names will only be seen by the immediate supervisor in charge of recording absences.
? Consistent with the HIPPA and ADA requirements, OCCC will not provide to the public the names of employees or students who are reported to have the H1N1 flu. All faculty and staff are reminded that the health status of their fellow employees is to be treated as confidential information.
? OCCC is a Point of Delivery (POD) site for community vaccinations from the Oklahoma City/Oklahoma County Department of Health. This POD agreement may be activated for seasonal flu vaccinations sometime in October. If so, seasonal flu vaccinations will be administered to the community, including OCCC faculty, staff, and students on the main campus. When the arrangements are finalized, you will be notified.
? OCCC may also be a site where the H1N1 vaccine would be administered to the priority populations (students and employees under the age of 24 and pregnant women). If and when these arrangements are finalized, you will be provided detailed information regarding date, location, and eligibility.
Once again, for your information, the Center for Disease Control lists the following as flu-like symptoms:
? Fever (100 degrees or higher)
? Headache
? Extreme tiredness
? Dry cough
? Runny or stuffy nose
? Muscle aches
? Sore throat
? Vomiting
? Sometimes diarrhea
As the situation at OCCC changes, I will provide additional updates. Also, members of President?s Cabinet are provided weekly updates at our regular meeting. Should you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact your President?s Cabinet member or me.
Sincerely,
Paul Sechrist
President
