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Swine flu rate above average at Florida's colleges
By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune
Published: September 14, 2009
TAMPA - Florida's colleges and universities have reported above-average rates of swine flu, but nothing like the worst-hit states of Washington and Georgia, says a survey from the American College Health Association.
Florida reported more than 25 cases of the H1N1 virus per 10,000 students. But Washington's rate was 14 times higher than Florida's. Georgia's was five times higher.
The voluntary survey covered Aug. 29 through Sept. 4, the second week of school at Florida's public universities. It involved 236 universities and colleges across the country, including about 10 in Florida. The association wouldn't release their names.
During the first week of the fall semester at the University of South Florida, several students came to the school clinic with flu-like symptoms, said student health services director Egilda Terenzi.
"We continue to see a steady flow of students with this probable diagnosis. No major upturn or downturn of caseload," Terenzi said.
Georgia universities, on the other hand, reported hundreds of cases ? more than 125 per 10,000 students, or seven times the survey's national average of 18 per 10,000 students.
Atlanta's Emory University made the news last week with what was being called "Club Swine," an empty dorm set up to quarantine students with flu symptoms.
Washington reported 368 cases per 10,000, with most coming from Washington State University in the eastern Washington city of Pullman. The high numbers are hard to explain, said James C. Turner, president of the college health association. But university officials have speculated that the school's early start date, in late August, gave the H1N1 virus more time to spread.
The Florida schools that were part of the health association survey reported a total of 578 cases. Officials at USF are urging students to take precautions to keep the infection rate from jumping.
The school has placed stickers on bathroom mirrors encouraging students to wash their hands and created signs to draw attention to wall-mounted hand sanitizers across campus.
USF has is also making thermometers more available to students, especially those in residence halls.
Nationally, universities and colleges reported 7,002 cases of swine flu on their campuses, Turner said. Illnesses have been mild, with no deaths and just a handful of hospitalizations.
Overall, the state of Florida's swine flu rate of 25 per 10,000 is the eighth highest in the country, behind Washington, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/se...bove-average-floridas-colleges/news-breaking/
By LINDSAY PETERSON | The Tampa Tribune
Published: September 14, 2009
TAMPA - Florida's colleges and universities have reported above-average rates of swine flu, but nothing like the worst-hit states of Washington and Georgia, says a survey from the American College Health Association.
Florida reported more than 25 cases of the H1N1 virus per 10,000 students. But Washington's rate was 14 times higher than Florida's. Georgia's was five times higher.
The voluntary survey covered Aug. 29 through Sept. 4, the second week of school at Florida's public universities. It involved 236 universities and colleges across the country, including about 10 in Florida. The association wouldn't release their names.
During the first week of the fall semester at the University of South Florida, several students came to the school clinic with flu-like symptoms, said student health services director Egilda Terenzi.
"We continue to see a steady flow of students with this probable diagnosis. No major upturn or downturn of caseload," Terenzi said.
Georgia universities, on the other hand, reported hundreds of cases ? more than 125 per 10,000 students, or seven times the survey's national average of 18 per 10,000 students.
Atlanta's Emory University made the news last week with what was being called "Club Swine," an empty dorm set up to quarantine students with flu symptoms.
Washington reported 368 cases per 10,000, with most coming from Washington State University in the eastern Washington city of Pullman. The high numbers are hard to explain, said James C. Turner, president of the college health association. But university officials have speculated that the school's early start date, in late August, gave the H1N1 virus more time to spread.
The Florida schools that were part of the health association survey reported a total of 578 cases. Officials at USF are urging students to take precautions to keep the infection rate from jumping.
The school has placed stickers on bathroom mirrors encouraging students to wash their hands and created signs to draw attention to wall-mounted hand sanitizers across campus.
USF has is also making thermometers more available to students, especially those in residence halls.
Nationally, universities and colleges reported 7,002 cases of swine flu on their campuses, Turner said. Illnesses have been mild, with no deaths and just a handful of hospitalizations.
Overall, the state of Florida's swine flu rate of 25 per 10,000 is the eighth highest in the country, behind Washington, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, North Carolina, Wisconsin and South Carolina.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/se...bove-average-floridas-colleges/news-breaking/