Statesman

Issue date: 9/9/09 Section: News

Media Credit: David Cowardin Freshman Matt Sickler practices flu prevention by washing his hands

UMD's campus is the perfect breeding ground for the "Swine Flu": thousands of students, living together in close quarters, mostly in the target age group for the influenza, combining their germs as they gather on campus this fall.

The upcoming flu season may be an overwhelming one with the ongoing H1N1 pandemic. With over 600 cases reported in Minnesota, the university is preparing to battle the possible outbreaks that could occur.

"I think more likely than not we'll see some cases of H1N1," said Dr. David Worley, associate director of UMD Health Services, of the upcoming school year. "I think it's pretty much going to be everywhere."

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has named people less than 24 years of age as a vulnerable target for H1N1, but the good news is that most cases in this age group aren't very severe.

"At this point it appears that most people who get infected are mild cases," Worley said. "There are some people who are more at risk for higher rates of complications or more infections and those are the folks who need to be more aware of their infections."

The university has taken time to put together a Pandemic Influenza Response plan to handle the possible outbreak we may see this fall. It includes planning for numerous situations that may occur with the spread of the influenza and educating the university about symptoms and preventative measures.

One important recommendation from the CDC and UMD Health Services is to get your seasonal flu shot. This will not protect against H1N1, but it is possible to contract both the seasonal flu and H1N1 at the same time, a nasty combination. A vaccination for H1N1 has been developed, but it's still being tested and isn't projected to be released until October. This year's recommendation from the CDC said to begin giving out seasonal flu vaccinations about a month earlier than usual, and the university is complying.

The university will be holding clinics to provide seasonal flu vaccines on Sept. 21, 23, 29, 30 and Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students can come to the Kirby Lounge during these hours and receive a vaccination for $5. If you can't make it during these times, health services will provide vaccines on an individual basis.

The bottom line for this flu season is the same as every year: try not to get sick.

"Wash your hands a lot. Cover your cough and your sneeze. Clean surfaces that are frequently used, like your keyboards, your laptops, your doorknobs, your countertops and your desktops. All of those things can make a big difference in terms of just slowing this down," Worley said. "And if you really are ill, we don't want you to be coming to class."

But it's still uncertain how professors will react if their students arn't coming to class.

"That's the one area that we're working very hard on--the academic side," said John King, chair for the Pandemic Influenza Response Team.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools