H1N1 (Swine Flu)

20 November 2009

This is an update and follow up to the previous messages sent to students, parents, faculty and staff from the College regarding H1N1 (swine flu) planning.

Since the beginning of the semester, we have had about 30 students self-isolate or return home with influenza-like illness through the Health Center (there are additional students who are managing self-care who are not included in this number). They have been provided with self-care kits containing masks, soup, crackers, and liquids. During self-isolation, meals have been delivered from the food service and students have received sanitizing supplies. Roommates have been involved in education and offered assistance.

The focus on education and prevention appears to be serving us very well. Your efforts have played a critically important role in minimizing the amount of flu on campus. Thank you!

Please continue flu prevention practices such as frequent hand washing, regular use of hand sanitizer, and covering a cough with a sleeve or tissue.

An educational program is held weekly at the dining hall and information is posted around campus. Information is available on the College website at http://www.ccl.sbc.edu/health/h1n1.html?health. The College also monitors information on the CDC’s website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

If you were not able to get the H1N1 vaccine at the Health Center during one of the times offered during the past week, additional times offered the week of November 30. Please watch for email notices.

We will continue to update you periodically. We wish you good, relaxing time next week during the Thanksgiving break—and we look forward to your return to campus on November 29!

Best wishes.

Cheryl Steele, Dean of Co-Curricular Life

Planning for Students

Information was provided during the summer to Sweet Briar students, parents, faculty and staff in the e-newsletters. The College continues to closely monitor the H1N1 situation and to follow plans and procedures defined by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control). We are also communicating closely with the local Health Department, the CIVC (Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia), and with other colleges and universities. The College participated in a statewide planning meeting on H1N1 in August.

For current information regarding H1N1, you are encouraged to consult the CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.

The College’s current plans are outlined below:

Prevention

On August 28, a letter went out to Sweet Briar students via email (this is included at the bottom of the plan outline). Ongoing education that began last spring will continue through printed material across campus and electronic communication. The campus community is being reminded about the importance of hand washing, covering mouths when coughing, not sharing cups and utensils, and are being encouraged to use the hand sanitizer dispensers around campus Small, personal hand sanitizer dispensers were distributed to new students during Orientation and are being made available to upper-class students.

The Health Center is triaging patients over the phone—if a student has an upper respiratory problem, they are being asked to enter through the back entrance and seen in an examining room that is separate from other students. This will help prevent potential spread of germs in the waiting room area.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis will be based on symptoms because confirmatory testing is not available in non-hospitalized patients.

Students who are experiencing H1N1 or influenza symptoms:

• Students should contact the Health Center at x6140 or 434.381.6140 to review their symptoms over the phone. Students will then be offered health information and scheduled for an appointment to be evaluated if indicated.
• Currently, the symptoms of H1N1 illness tend to be mild. Therefore, students may not need to come to the Health Center to be evaluated. Self care and isolating from others who are not ill are the CDC recommendations for most individuals.
• Students should not go to classes and should stay in “self-isolation” until 24 hours after fever resolves without using fever suppressing medications (such as Tylenol or ibuprofen) per CDC guidance. It is the student’s responsibility to contact their faculty to notify them that they will not be able to attend classes.
• Students with flu-like symptoms are encouraged to go home and recover if at all possible.
• If an ill student remains on campus, she will be strongly encouraged to wear a mask if outside of her room or around others.
• Most healthy students do not need antiviral medication; this medication only shortens illness by 1 day and can have negative side effects as well.
• If you are in a “high risk” group and if you are experiencing flu like symptoms, contact the Health Center at x6140 or 434.381.6140 or your personal physician illnesses in order to assess the need of specific antiviral treatment.

Class Attendance

Students with flu-like symptoms will be strongly discouraged from attending class and should communicate electronically with their faculty members regarding their situation. Students will be encouraged to keep up with their academic work as they are able.

Isolation

Students with flu-like illness will be encouraged to return home, if possible. If they cannot return home, they will be strongly encouraged to move to another designated location on campus; these arrangements will be made by the Residence Life office. If they choose to isolate themselves in their residence rooms, at least 24 hours must have passed since they have had a fever without taking fever reducing medication before they can be out on campus in common areas. Students who self-isolate are responsible for notifying the Residence Life office and/or Health Center. Ill students with roommates will be asked to wear surgical masks when they are in the room together and when going to the bathroom; these masks will be provided by the Health Center. In this situation, basic sanitizing materials will be made available. If the roommate(s) of a student who is self-isolating in the room wants to move temporarily (until the 24 hour time period outlined above has passed), arrangements can be made with the Residence Life office as long as space is available. Students who work through the Health Center will be given a self-care packet which includes a starter supply of soup, crackers, Gatorade, and a mask. We are working with the Dining Services regarding delivery of meals.

Vaccine Availability

Vaccine for seasonal influenza will be available at the Health Center starting in mid-September at a cost of $25 for students. If, after meeting student need, vaccine is still available it will be offered to faculty and staff.

Vaccine for H1N1 is expected to be available sometime during the month of October. The H1N1 vaccine is currently a 2 shot series with doses 3-4 weeks apart; currently, there is no cost for this. The amount of vaccine we receive and CDC guidelines at the time of distribution will determine how the vaccine is allocated. As outlined for seasonal flu vaccine, students will be accommodated first.

Email announcements and flyers will publicize information regarding the dates and times of the vaccine clinics when the availability of the vaccines is known.

When vaccines are received from the Virginia Department of Health, they will be distributed according to CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines at the time of distribution. If a student and/or parents want to make other arrangements through their own private physician or local health care agency, they are encouraged to do so.

Communication

Information is being made available to the campus primarily through email. Important updates will be available on the College website and on the Health Center website particularly if a larger outbreak occurs on campus. We will share information with students and with the community as information becomes available.

If students or parents have questions, you can call the Health Center (434.381.6140; office hours, 9am-5pm) or email health@sbc.edu.

August 28, 2009

Dear Students:


The staff at SBC Health Services wants to wish all students a healthy and successful academic year. We encourage you to seek care with us for routine wellness care as well as ill visits in order to decrease the chances of your health having a negative impact on your academic endeavors.

Seasonal influenza season is approaching and it is difficult to predict how H1N1 may affect our SBC community. Plans are in place to protect the health of the SBC community in the event that the H1N1 virus worsens over the coming months.

As you may know, flu can be spread easily from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at Sweet Briar College for as long as possible, but we need your help to accomplish this (please see the information below).

We are working closely with the Amherst and Lynchburg Health departments, and communicating with other colleges and universities in Virginia, to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take at Sweet Briar. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available to us.

Although the Health Center is a great resource for students who are ill, we are also here to provide preventative services such as immunizations and women’s health exams. We do not want students to avoid health services for well visits for fear of catching an influenza-like illness in the waiting room.

Therefore, in order to best serve the needs of all students, please call x6140 to schedule a Health Center appointment instead of walking in for services. We are asking that you do this so that we can review your symptoms over the phone, offer health advice, and provide instructions about which entrance to use when entering the Health Center. As always, use x6111 for all emergency calls.

We care about your health and are including some additional information from the CDC about H1N1 and illness prevention. More information about influenza can be found at www.cdc.gov and www.flu.gov.

Sincerely,
Angela Ferguson, Nurse Practitioner
Mandy Cocke, Registered Nurse
Deborah Mays, Office Manager

Flu Prevention

• Use good hand washing. Wash your hands frequently for a minimum of 15-20 seconds each time.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer gel or wipes when there is no water.
• Practice respiratory etiquette by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Do not eat or drink after others.
• Eat well, stay hydrated, rest, exercise and follow good-health guidelines.
• Incorporate stress management techniques in your daily routine.

The H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines will be available later in the fall. When these vaccines become available, announcements will be sent out with vaccine clinic information and plans. Talk with your health care providers about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu. Also if you are at higher risk for flu complications from 2009 H1N1 flu, you should consider getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. People at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 flu complications include pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes). For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.

Flu Symptoms

• fever (greater than 100.0 F)
• headache
• body aches
• fatigue
• dry cough
• sore throat
• occasionally, nausea or diarrhea

If you develop any flu-like symptoms, please avoid close contact with others. Call x6140 to discuss your symptoms and schedule an appointment if indicated.

Recovery

If you develop influenza like symptoms you may resume your normal activities when you have been off of fever-reducing medicine such as ibuprofen or Tylenol, and you are fever-free for 24 hours.

 

 

This information is presented as general information and is not meant to be specific treatment for your medical problems. This information is not intended as a substitute for being evaluated by a health care professional. It is intended for educational purposes only. Whenever you are not sure about your symptoms, please call x6140, or other health provider, to seek advice from the nurse or contact campus safety after hours at x6111.

If you do find yourself ill, please contact the Health Center at x6140 to schedule an appointment to see a Registered Nurse or Nurse Practitioner. The Nurse Practitioner sees patients from 9am-4pm Monday-Friday. The Registered Nurse sees patients from 9am-5pm with appointment preferred. Walk-ins will be seen by the Registered Nurse and referred to the Nurse Practitioner or other health care provider as indicated based on her assessment. The Registered Nurse can also provide you with over the counter medications and can obtain lab work following our standing orders. True medical emergencies will always be seen at the health center regardless of appointment status. In case of emergency, call Campus Safety at x6111 so that they can send our officer to provide immediate assistance until Heath Center staff or EMS arrives on scene.