Preventative Measures for the Upcoming Flu Season
The beginning of flu season is just around the corner, but the proper precautionary measures can often ward off the development of symptoms and spread of illness. As you may know, flu can be easily passed from person to person. College and university campuses, where students learn and reside within close proximity to one another, are especially vulnerable. Therefore, we are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at Mount Union College for as long as possible and we need your help to accomplish this goal.
We are working closely with the local health department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning our institution. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available to us.
For now, we are doing everything we can to keep our institution operating as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help:
- Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective.
- Practice respiratory etiquette by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; germs are spread this way.
- Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. Look for possible signs of fever: the person feels very warm, has a flushed appearance or is sweating or shivering.
- Stay home if you have flu or flu-like illness for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (chills, warm to the touch, flushed appearance or sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Don’t go to class or work.
- 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 the 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 including asthma, heart disease or diabetes. For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
If this year’s flu season becomes more severe, we may take additional steps to prevent the spread of the virus. Some “next step” measures might include:
- Allow students, faculty and staff at higher risk for complications to stay home. These students, faculty and staff should make this decision in consultation with their health care providers.
- Find ways to increase social distances (the space between people) in classrooms such as moving desks farther apart, leaving empty seats between students, holding outdoor classes and using distance learning methods.
- Extend the time sick students, faculty or staff stay home or in their residences. During severe flu conditions, sick people should stay home for at least seven days, even if they feel better sooner. Those who are still sick after seven days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have gone away. Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea or vomiting.
- Suspend classes. This decision will be made together with local and state public health officials. The length of time classes should be suspended will depend on the goal of suspending classes as well as the severity and extent of illness.
Mount Union College will provide on-going community updates regarding institutional strategies when/if influenza or other communicable diseases are suspected within the campus or greater Alliance communities. In the meantime, we encourage you to consider the precautionary measures listed above while following general health guidelines that include getting adequate sleep, maintaining a healthy diet and incorporating exercise into your regular routine.
The Health Center received a very limited amount of H1N1 vaccine that will be administered at the Health Center on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at the Health Center. For further information, click here.
For further information on the 2009 H1N1 nasal spray vacine, click here. For further information on the 2009 H1N1 flu shot, click here.
For the most up-to-date information on flu, visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
Thank you,
The Health Center Staff