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CENTRAL NY REAL-TIME NEWS
Central New York colleges are prepped for resurgence of swine flu
by James T. Mulder and Glenn Coin / The Post-Standard
Tuesday September 01, 2009, 8:13 PM
Syracuse University has already seen a possible case of H1N1, or swine flu, in a student.
SU and other area colleges are gearing up for a potential surge of the virus now that students are returning to classrooms, dormitories, dining halls and fraternity and sorority houses where it's easy for the illness to spread. Monday was the first day of classes at SU.
An SU student with flu-like symptoms sought care at the campus health services office over the weekend, said Dr. James Jacobs, SU's director of health services. The student tested negative for regular seasonal flu. There is a 25 percent chance the student has H1N1, Jacobs said. SU and other colleges cannot test specifically for H1N1 because that test is usually reserved for hospitalized patients.
Jacobs said the student was advised to avoid class and other activities until 24 hours after his fever breaks.
Cornell, where classes resumed last week, also has seen an undetermined number of flu cases, said university spokeswoman Claudia Wheatley. "Whether it's garden variety flu or H1N1 we really couldn't say, but we have to assume in some cases it has been H1N1," she said.
Flu outbreaks are being reported on college campuses across the country. The University of Colorado in Boulder has identified 49 probable cases of H1N1 among students. At least 17 U.S. colleges have already seen cases in recent weeks, according to Bloomberg news service.
The novel virus is expected to infect even more people in the fall than it did when it first appeared in the spring. So far this year, H1N1 has killed more than 430 Americans, including three people in Onondaga County. Children and young adults are particularly vulnerable. H1N1 has been a mild illness, similar to seasonal flu. The federal government is working to make a new H1N1 vaccine available by mid-October.
Colleges are educating students and staff about the flu and gearing up for the possibility of widespread illness.
LeMoyne College has prepared flu self-care kits for students that include a disposable thermometer, Sudafed tablets, cough lozenges, a face mask and a cup of soup, said Anne Kearney, LeMoyne's director of health and counseling services.
"Residence ... staff will have a supply of these so if there is a sick kid on their floor they will give these kids a kit so they don't have to leave to go to the drug store," Kearney said. The college has ordered more than 2,000 containers of hand sanitizer, which will be distributed to students. LeMoyne plans to deliver food to dorms so sick students won't have to go to cafeterias, she said. The college also is asking professors to put course content online so students can keep up with classes from their rooms.
LeMoyne, where classes resumed Monday, has not seen any flu cases yet. "But we feel it's just a matter of time," Kearney said.
SU is encouraging professors to be more lenient about class attendance policies. "We'd rather be generous and give you the benefit of the doubt about your illness than having you sit in class spreading virus," said Jacobs, SU's health services director.
SU wants students who get sick to call the health services office to determine if they need to be seen by a health care provider. "We don't want students trying to diagnose themselves," Jacobs said. "We don't want a student with meningitis staying home, thinking they have the mild flu."
Meningitis is a potentially deadly infection, with many of the same symptoms as the flu, that attacks children and teenagers.
Area colleges are advising students and faculty to get both the regular seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccine shots when they become available. "We need to emphasize these messages to students because they all think they are invincible," said Wheatley, of Cornell.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/central_new_york_colleges_are.html#more
Central New York colleges are prepped for resurgence of swine flu
by James T. Mulder and Glenn Coin / The Post-Standard
Tuesday September 01, 2009, 8:13 PM
Syracuse University has already seen a possible case of H1N1, or swine flu, in a student.
SU and other area colleges are gearing up for a potential surge of the virus now that students are returning to classrooms, dormitories, dining halls and fraternity and sorority houses where it's easy for the illness to spread. Monday was the first day of classes at SU.
An SU student with flu-like symptoms sought care at the campus health services office over the weekend, said Dr. James Jacobs, SU's director of health services. The student tested negative for regular seasonal flu. There is a 25 percent chance the student has H1N1, Jacobs said. SU and other colleges cannot test specifically for H1N1 because that test is usually reserved for hospitalized patients.
Jacobs said the student was advised to avoid class and other activities until 24 hours after his fever breaks.
Cornell, where classes resumed last week, also has seen an undetermined number of flu cases, said university spokeswoman Claudia Wheatley. "Whether it's garden variety flu or H1N1 we really couldn't say, but we have to assume in some cases it has been H1N1," she said.
Flu outbreaks are being reported on college campuses across the country. The University of Colorado in Boulder has identified 49 probable cases of H1N1 among students. At least 17 U.S. colleges have already seen cases in recent weeks, according to Bloomberg news service.
The novel virus is expected to infect even more people in the fall than it did when it first appeared in the spring. So far this year, H1N1 has killed more than 430 Americans, including three people in Onondaga County. Children and young adults are particularly vulnerable. H1N1 has been a mild illness, similar to seasonal flu. The federal government is working to make a new H1N1 vaccine available by mid-October.
Colleges are educating students and staff about the flu and gearing up for the possibility of widespread illness.
LeMoyne College has prepared flu self-care kits for students that include a disposable thermometer, Sudafed tablets, cough lozenges, a face mask and a cup of soup, said Anne Kearney, LeMoyne's director of health and counseling services.
"Residence ... staff will have a supply of these so if there is a sick kid on their floor they will give these kids a kit so they don't have to leave to go to the drug store," Kearney said. The college has ordered more than 2,000 containers of hand sanitizer, which will be distributed to students. LeMoyne plans to deliver food to dorms so sick students won't have to go to cafeterias, she said. The college also is asking professors to put course content online so students can keep up with classes from their rooms.
LeMoyne, where classes resumed Monday, has not seen any flu cases yet. "But we feel it's just a matter of time," Kearney said.
SU is encouraging professors to be more lenient about class attendance policies. "We'd rather be generous and give you the benefit of the doubt about your illness than having you sit in class spreading virus," said Jacobs, SU's health services director.
SU wants students who get sick to call the health services office to determine if they need to be seen by a health care provider. "We don't want students trying to diagnose themselves," Jacobs said. "We don't want a student with meningitis staying home, thinking they have the mild flu."
Meningitis is a potentially deadly infection, with many of the same symptoms as the flu, that attacks children and teenagers.
Area colleges are advising students and faculty to get both the regular seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccine shots when they become available. "We need to emphasize these messages to students because they all think they are invincible," said Wheatley, of Cornell.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/central_new_york_colleges_are.html#more