Educate yourself about H1N1

Guidelines and recommendations for students, faculty and staff at New College of Florida.

What is H1N1?

H1N1 (previously called swine flu) is a worldwide flu pandemic that is likely to have an impact on campus life and student learning at New College this fall. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 virus can vary in severity from mild to severe. Most people who are sick with H1N1 experience illness similar to seasonal flu and recover within a week. However, like the seasonal flu, H1N1 can cause severe illness and even death. 

With nearly 800 students on campus, plus an additional 250 faculty and staff members, it is possible that as many as 25% or more of the New College campus community may become ill with H1N1 virus this fall.

New College strongly encourages all students, faculty and staff to educate themselves about H1N1, including how to recognize its symptoms as well as when and how to seek treatment.

How can you protect yourself from H1N1?

Everyone in the New College community can reduce his/her chances of contracting the H1N1 virus, as well as seasonal flu, by taking common preventive measures. These include the following:

• Wash your hands frequently throughout the day.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (not your hands).
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available.
• Use separate plates, bowls or cups when sharing food and drinks.
• Whenever possible, limit exposure to individuals who appear ill.

What are H1N1's symptoms?

H1N1's symptoms are the same as those for the seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people also experience diarrhea and vomiting with H1N1.

If you experience these symptoms and think you may have the H1N1 virus, New College administration recommends taking the following actions.

Students:

• Contact the Counseling & Wellness Center or your personal health care provider immediately.
• Stay in your room or at home and get plenty of rest.
• Avoid unnecessary contact with roommates or others to keep them from becoming ill.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (not your hands).
• Notify your instructors about any classes that you will miss because of illness.
• Students should not return to classes until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours.

Faculty & Staff:

• Contact your personal health care provider to see if an office visit is recommended.
• Stay at home and get plenty of rest.
• Avoid unnecessary contact with family members or others to keep them from becoming ill.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue (not your hands).
• Notify your supervisor about any work that you will miss because of illness.
• Faculty and staff should not return to work until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours.

How does H1N1 virus spread?

Spread of H1N1 virus is thought to happen 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 become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

How long can an infected person spread the H1N1 virus to others?

At the current time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believe that the H1N1 virus has the same properties in terms of spreading as seasonal flu viruses.  With seasonal flu, studies have shown that people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick.  Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

Is there a vaccine for H1N1?

Working together with scientists in the public and private sector, the CDC has isolated the H1N1 virus and modified the virus so that it can be used to make hundreds of millions of doses of vaccine. Vaccine manufacturers are now using these materials to begin vaccine production. However, making vaccine is a multi-step process that takes several months to complete, and finalized versions of the vaccine are not scheduled to be released until later this fall.

As a student, what should I do if I think I have H1N1 virus?

Students with flu-like symptoms should contact the Counseling & Wellness Center immediately. Each student who presents at the Center with a presumptive diagnosis for H1N1 will be given a "Patient Care Advisory for H1N1" form with guidelines on how to recover quickly and prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.  These guidelines recommend that students stay in isolation until they are fever-free for 24 hours (without medication).

In cases where a student can go home, he or she will be encouraged to do so. Unfortunately, New College does not have facilities for isolation on campus. Each student will also be given instructions on how to avoid spreading the illness to others.

What if I miss classes because of H1N1?

Students who miss classes due to illness are responsible for making up missed work and for presenting appropriate documentation of their illness to faculty. The "Patient Care Advisory for H1N1" issued by the Counseling & Wellness Center, or a signed note from a student's personal physician, will serve as a proof of illness for students who are forced to miss classes. Students are responsible for communicating with faculty members about their illness and the means by which any missed work will be completed.

As an employee, what if I miss work because of H1N1?

Administrators and office heads have been alerted to be flexible with employees who are forced to miss work because of H1N1 virus and/or the seasonal flu. As an employee, if you develop the flu or flu-like symptoms, contact your supervisor or office staff and stay home. Employees who come to work while ill risk spreading the flu virus to their fellow employees and other members of the campus community.

What should faculty do to help prevent the spread of H1N1 among students?

Faculty should encourage students who are ill to isolate themselves as much as possible and to refrain from attending class. If symptomatic students come to class, faculty should encourage to return home or back to their dorm rooms.

In order to encourage students to refrain from attending classes while they are ill, the Provost's Office recommends that faculty articulate guidelines to students detailing policies about how class absences and make-up assignments will be handled.

Where can I get more information about H1N1?

Florida Health Department - http://www.doh.state.fl.us/
Sarasota County Health Department – http://www.sarasotahealth.org/
Manatee County Health Department - http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdManatee/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – www.cdc.gov