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Frequently Asked Questions About Flu
Is there H1N1 (Swine) flu on campus?
Yes. A number of students, faculty, and staff have had
flu or influenza-like illness, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has
indicated that H1N1 is the predominant flu virus circulating in the United States this fall. Public health authorities anticipate a relatively severe flu
season this winter in the United States because both H1N1 and seasonal flu
viruses will be in circulation. We will generally not know if any given case
of flu is H1N1 or seasonal flu. Their symptoms are the same and their
severity is about the same. Because of this, the CDC has changed its testing
protocols and will be limiting H1N1 confirmation testing to hospitalized
patients and other special circumstances. Therefore, Trinity will
concentrate our prevention and response efforts on the “flu,” not
differentiating between seasonal and H1N1. Some physician’s offices will be
able to perform rapid tests for the flu; however, <add comma> these
tests will not differentiate between seasonal flu and H1N1. Flu is flu. The
good news is that the recommended prevention methods work for all types of
flu viruses.
How is Trinity responding to flu?
Trinity’s Crisis Management Team (CMT) is monitoring the
situation and coordinating the University’s responses. The CMT is meeting
regularly and posting updates on the Trinity Web site at the www.trinity.edu/emergencyprep.
The team is taking all necessary steps to ensure the safety of students,
faculty, and staff during this time.
What are the symptoms of flu in people? How serious is
it?
Symptoms of flu are fever, cough, sore throat, body aches,
headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported runny nose, diarrhea,
<add comma> and vomiting associated with flu. Flu in humans can vary
in severity from mild to severe.
How do you catch the flu?
It spreads from person to person through coughing or
sneezing by infected people.
How long can an infected person spread flu to others?
Infected people may be able to infect others before they
even know they are sick. The virus can be spread a day before any symptoms
develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick.
What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
To prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory
illnesses like influenza, take these everyday steps to protect your health:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough
or sneeze.
- Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- If a tissue is not available cough into your arm or
elbow.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially
after you cough or sneeze.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Germs spread that way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Vaccination against both seasonal flu and H1N1 is
recommended.
Is the University giving the H1N1 vaccine?
Health Services received a shipment of 170 doses of H1N1 flu vaccine in the first week of December and has begun administering it to students at no charge. Any student may receive the vaccine, but we are making a particular effort to reach students with underlying health conditions which make them vulnerable to complications of the flu. Those students are priority recipients of the vaccine and are encouraged to come in and receive the vaccine ASAP.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has provided the H1N1 vaccine for students only. Other members of the Trinity Community are encouraged to see their primary care providers or other community resources for the vaccine.
If I get a seasonal flu shot, can I still get H1N1 flu?
The seasonal flu shot will not provide protection from
H1N1. However, you should consider that in an ordinary year two million
Americans get seasonal flu and 36,000 deaths occur in the United States from complications of this flu. Individuals should consider the seasonal flu
vaccine to protect from three different types of seasonal flu that are
expected this winter.
Should I wear a face mask to keep from getting sick?
It is not necessary for the general public to use face
masks. If you have flu symptoms, however, and go to a health care provider,
you may be asked to wear a mask to keep you from spreading any virus when you
cough or sneeze.
What
should I do if I think I have the flu?
If
you are a student with symptoms of the flu (fever, cough, muscle aches), call
Trinity’s Health Services at 210-999-8111 before going to the clinic. The
staff will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
If you are a staff or faculty member and exhibit symptoms, stay home
from work and seek medical attention from your health provider
immediately. Only your health care provider can determine if a
prescription for antiviral medication is appropriate.
Most
people recover within a few days. Rest at home and drink plenty of
fluids. Cover your cough and wash hands frequently to avoid infecting
others. Over the counter medications can help to make you feel more
comfortable. Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen can help with fever, body aches,
and headache; over the counter cough medication, like Robitussin DM or Mucinex
DM, can be helpful as well. Follow label
directions. Many over the counter cold, cough, and flu remedies contain
similar ingredients. Read the labels and don’t take multiple
medications with the same ingredients, including acetaminophen.
Contact
your physician or seek emergency care if you experience difficulty breathing,
confusion, inability to take fluids, or high fever not relieved with
medication.
The
CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and to limit contact
with others for 24 hours after the fever is gone without the use of a
fever-reducing medicine.
What would prompt Trinity to cancel classes and campus
events because of the flu outbreak?
Students’ absences from class and the absences of faculty
and staff due to illness are being monitored. If these become excessive and
make normal operation of the University difficult, the CMT will make a
recommendation to the President that he cancel classes and events. At this
point, such a recommendation seems unlikely. However, faculty members have
been asked to prepare contingency plans for continuation of instruction in
the event of a campus closure or class cancelations. If cancellations are
necessary, they will be posted on the Trinity web site (www.trinity.edu/emergencyprep).
Students and their families should consider plans for getting home in the
event that classes are cancelled.
Where can I get more information?
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
http://www.pandemicflu.gov
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