H1N1 Swine Flu Updates

By now, you have probably watched numerous TV news reports about the H1N1 influenza virus or read about it online or in print. One of our primary goals as an institution is to promote the health and safety of our community. In this regard, SU continues to monitor the activity of the H1N1 flu. We encourage you to pay attention to the H1N1 information and updates that we will provide via web site postings, e-mails, and other communications. SU also has a Crisis Management Team and a pandemic plan to address the health and safety of our community in the event of an outbreak.

We strongly recommend you get the seasonal flu vaccine for your protection. Seasonal flu viruses change from year to year, therefore the seasonal flu vaccine is updated each year, and an annual vaccination is recommended.  A gentle reminder, the viruses in inactivated influenza vaccine (seasonal flu shot) have been killed, so you cannot get the flu from the vaccine and serious problems from the flu vaccine are rare.

H1N1 Vaccinations for Faculty and Staff

H1N1 vaccinations will be offered to faculty and staff who are in one of the following categories: 18-24 years of age; pregnant; live with or care for children younger than 6 months; a health care or EMS worker with direct patient care; or an individual with an underlying risk factor such as asthma, a chronic health condition, or compromised immune system. (Guidelines from the state of Maryland and the CDC.)
 
Date: Tuesday, November 17
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Place: Wellness Center, Owings Mills
Register: www.bhsonline.com, username mustang, select register for upcoming events, and then select Owings Mills campus (required)
Questions: Contact Julie Linz, Business Health Services representative, jlinz@bhsonline.com
 
Faculty & staff who are interested in getting the vaccine can also talk to their physician.  Note: while the vaccine is free, physicians can charge an "administration" fee. The Wellness Center is hopeful to provide the H1N1 vaccine to faculty/staff later if additional allotments are provided from the state.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed helpful recommendations for flu prevention and control. We encourage all members of the community to follow these 3 Basic Action Steps:  

Take everyday preventative actions:

  • Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, germs spread this way.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • If you get the flu, stay home from work or school for 7 days after symptoms begin, or until you are symptom free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
  • While sick, limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. 

Take time to get vaccinated:

  • CDC recommends a yearly seasonal flu vaccine.
  • The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the three seasonal viruses that research suggests will be most common.
  • A seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you against H1N1.
  • A new vaccine against H1N1 is being produced and will be available in the coming months.

Take flu antiviral drugs if recommended:

  • If you get seasonal or H1N1 flu, antiviral drugs can be prescribed by your physician to make your illness milder and make you feel better faster.
  • Antiviral drugs are not sold over-the-counter and are different from antibiotics. 

If your health care provider has advised you that you might have the H1N1 influenza and has recommended isolation, please call the Wellness Center at 443-352-4200 as soon as possible. Information about suspected cases is being gathered to help identify clusters of illness in the SU community. 

The Wellness Center will keep you informed through periodic updates. We recommend that you:

  • Continue to check the SU website regarding any news that might affect classes, events, and the University as a whole.
  • Pay attention to any official emails you receive from the SU administration regarding this topic. Faculty may also be sharing information with students in their classes. 

Additional alcohol-based wall hand sanitizers are being distributed on both campuses to help further protect the health and safety of the SU community. The Wellness Center provides individual clip-on hand sanitizers for your convenience, and washing hands with soap and water continues to be an effective preventive measure. Note that various hand washing tips and reminders will be posted throughout our campuses. 

The members of the SU Crisis Management Team will continue to monitor the H1N1 situation with guidance from the CDC and local health department. Our goal is not to alarm you but keep you informed. If you have any questions or concerns, please call the Wellness Center at 443-352-4200.

For further information and updates on the H1N1 flu, visit the CDC web site at www.cdc.gov or call 800-CDC-INFO.

What Is H1N1 (Swine Flu)?

The novel H1N1 flu virus originally referred to as "swine flu" is a new influenza virus which was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009. The term "swine flu" was used early on because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America.

H1N1 Quick Facts & Symptoms

• Spread of novel H1N1 virus is happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

• Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for up to 2-8 hours after being deposited on the surface.

• The symptoms of novel H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.  Also, like seasonal flu, severe illnesses and death have occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus.

What to do if you get sick?
If you are sick consider the following:

•  Limit contact with other people as much as possible. DO NOT GO TO CLASS! Seek medical attention by contacting your healthcare provider or the SU Wellness Center at 443-352-4200. You don't need to be tested unless requested to do so by the Maryland State Health Department.

• Students who are sick should self-isolate  (see below). If you are the healthy roommate, limit your contact, wear a mask and clean common surfaces regularly.

• Make sure to get plenty of rest and drink  fluids to keep from being dehydrated. Special food service meals will be available.

• Avoid normal activities including work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.

Be Prepared

Be prepared ! Before you are sick and need to stay home, have on hand now:  a supply of over the counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items might prove to be useful and help avoid the need to make trips in public while you are sick and contagious. Keep a supply of inhalers etc. if you have ongoing special health related needs. Get a head start on class assignments this season so you'd have less severity on your academic course load  if you get sick.

Self-Isolation and Removal

• Go home! If you have family or friends that live within the mid- Atlantic region (within an approximate six hours or less drive-time to campus), we ask that you be picked up and stay off campus if you are a likely case of H1N1.

• If unable to go home, students with an influenza-like illness (ILI) should self-isolate (i.e., stay away from others) in their residence hall room or home for at least 24 hours after any fever is gone without influence of fever-reducing medications. Exceptions include the need to get medical care or other necessities, such as medicine.

Seeking Emergency Medical Care
Emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in abdomen or chest
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

Reporting Procedures
If you have been diagnosed with an influenza-like illness you should do the following as soon as is possible:

• Telephone the Wellness Center at 443-352-4200.
• Contact any faculty whose class you anticipate missing and inform them of your illness.  Make arrangements for catching up on any missed work.  If you have difficulty reaching your faculty or if your illness lingers to the point where you will miss three or more days of class, contact the Office of Academic Support Services at 443-334-2332.

Treatment and Vaccines
Get vaccinated! Influenza vaccines are one of the most effective ways to protect people from contracting illness during influenza epidemics and pandemics. Other preventive and treatment measures include anti-viral and other drugs, social distancing and personal hygiene. These measures used both prior to development of a pandemic vaccine and following the availability of a vaccine, expected in limited supply at first.

The first usable H1N1 vaccines for immunization, likely to be two shots, are expected  to be ready as early as September but in all likelihood  large quantities will not be ready until October. We will keep you informed.

The usual seasonal influenza viruses are still expected to cause illness this fall and winter. Individuals are encouraged to get their seasonal flu vaccine in September and will be available on campus. The seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against the novel H1N1 flu.
Safe Hygiene Practices

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Alcohol sanitizers are already placed throughout both campuses.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

• Cleaning common surfaces more often will lesson the chances of contracting and spreading the virus.

As  SU students,  you should  remember to actively monitor your own health and the health of your friends. Remember to be prepared in case you get sick -time management and pre-planning are key elements. Also, having a supply of over-the-counter medicines, alcohol-based hand rubs, tissues and other related items could be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick and contagious. Remember to use safe hygiene practices to help prevent the spread of germs, and frequently sanitize hard surfaces.

Faculty Message 

Stevenson University is preparing for potential cases of H1N1 on campus. In the event of sporadic cases of the H1N1 virus, Stevenson University is not canceling classes. We continue to work on a plan for a potential major outbreak. In the meantime: 

  • All faculty members are strongly encouraged to activate the BlackBoard system for their classes, so lessons can continue in the event of student or faculty illness. Faculty should ensure that lessons are updated for two-week time spans.
  • BlackBoard Workshop training opportunities are now being scheduled. Additional assistance by way of "BlackBoard Buddies" is underway for how to do BlackBoard basics.
  • Faculty members who believe they have the flu should contact their department chairperson. Faculty members may not cancel classes.
  • Faculty members must be free of fever without the aid of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours before returning to work.


Staff Message 

Stevenson University is preparing for potential sporadic cases of H1N1 on campus and is working on a master plan should there be a major outbreak. In the meantime: 

  • Employees with flu-like symptoms, including fever, should communicate directly with their supervisors in the same manner that they would for any other illness.
  • Absences due to flu will be covered under existing University time off policies: employees will need to use their sick days, followed by personal days.
  • If your illness lasts longer than that covered time period, please contact Mary Furst, Director of Compensation and Benefits, at 443-334-2009 or mfurst@stevenson.edu
  • Employees must be free of fever without the aid of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours before returning to work.