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H1N1..........................................................................................................continued from page 1 available soon at MSU, possibly within a couple of weeks. We are gearing up to deliver the seasonal flu shot early this year,” Williamson said. As for the H1N1 vaccine, it hasn’t been released for public use yet, but when it is, MSU has made plans to make sure students can be immunized. “The H1N1 flu vaccine is still in the production and testing stage, and the production levels are reportedly disappointing,” Williamson said. “When available, the vaccine will be distributed through state health departments to providers who have applied for the vaccine. We have applied for enough vaccine for every student on campus; we await word on how much we will actually get. I don’t expect to really know how much H1N1 vaccine we will have on campus until mid to late October.” So far, Williamson has not found any positive cases of influenza, either H1N1 or the seasonal flu virus. “I haven’t seen any flu since last February,” Williamson said. “I have tested patients with upper respiratory tract symptoms and fever all summer, and they have all been negative. I have tested a few patients this month, but no one was really suspicious for influenza. There have been no confirmed cases in town to my knowledge.” But that doesn’t mean that Wichita Falls will remain a swine flu-free zone. “We could very well have an outbreak at any time,” Williamson said. “The initial outbreak will be large, then recede, and then be followed by several smaller waves of flu; this is usually how contagious flu acts.” In June, according to the World Health Organization, H1N1 had spread into enough countries to
be called pandemic flu. “To be clear, this means that because it is a new strain, it is a lot more contagious than the flu that has circulated for the last 40 years. The last time this happened was in 1968; the 2009 pandemic is acting a lot like the 1968 ‘Hong Kong’ (H3N2) flu pandemic.” “In 1968, the H3N2 Hong Kong flu was a brand new pandemic strain just like the H1N1 swine flu is today,” Williamson said in an email sent to members of the university community. “A lot of people got sick, but as more and more people recovered and became immune, that strain stopped causing pandemic conditions. The same will happen with this flu, but meanwhile, we have to consider that a lot of people could get sick this year.” Prevention, however, is not expected to inhibit the normal progression of classes and events on campus. “Should any schedule changes need to be made because of the flu, the information will be communicated from many sources, such as the campus web page, campus E-mail, and through supervisors and faculty. The MSU website will be the primary location for information. There is a remote possibility, if enough faculty, staff, and students were sick with the flu, that the flu would disrupt campus operations. Key leaders on campus have been notified to make plans should a brief school closure become needed.” The maintenance staff has also been doing their part to make sure that the campus is as germ-free as possible, but much of the responsibility for staying well still rests upon each person. “Public places such as the wellness center are cleaned and sanitized on a schedule designed to reduce the possibility of contract-
ing an infection,” he said. “However, after an area is cleaned, it only takes one person to re-contaminate that area. Staying free of the flu is really up to the individual.” The biggest part of staying well is practicing good personal hygiene. “Personal risk reduction and controlling the spread of flu, is based in how well you fend for yourself,” Williamson said. “Good personal hygiene is the key. Avoid contact with those who are ill. Do not share personal items, such as eating utensils or grooming items. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently, cover your cough by coughing into your sleeve at your elbow, use tissue paper once and discard, and make use of the disinfectant gel dispensers we have placed around the campus.” The other step is to get vaccinated as early as possible. “Vaccination is the best prevention,” Williamson said. “This year, there will be one flu shot for seasonal flu, and another flu shot plus a booster shot for H1N1 flu. College students/adults under age 24 are designated as one of the priority groups for the H1N1 vaccine. This will lead to some complicated scheduling for both the health center and our patients, so watch closely for more information as plans are finalized.” If you do begin to feel ill, there are certain signs to look for. “Symptoms may be due to a flu-like illness or real influenza,” Williamson said. “An influenza like illness (ILI) is anything with a fever of over 100°F, and cough or sore throat.” “Classic” flu symptoms, according to Williamson, include a high fever, dry cough, body aches and fatigue. The fever and worst part of the illness last five to seven days, but the cough could stick
around for a month or more. An infected person is no longer contagious a day after the fever is gone. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has recommended self-isolation for those who do become ill. “If you get sick, stay home to limit the spread of the virus,” Williamson said. “If possible, residential students should return to their parents’ home until they recover. Guides to self-care and care for others in the home have been placed around campus.” Going to class should be a secondary concern to getting better. “Stay home until the fever has been gone for 24 hours without fever-reducing medicine,” Williamson said. “Students who become ill should notify their professors that they will miss class.” Going to see a doctor, however, is not always necessary with the flu, including H1N1, unless the infected person is at a higher risk for complications due to other medical problems or pregnancy. A doctor should be consulted if any of these serious symptoms arise: trouble breathing, grayish skin color, dehydration, confusion, stupor, and loss of consciousness, Williamson said. Even if a student misses class, however, it is not recommended that they rush to the clinic to pick up a doctor’s note. “The CDC and other medical authorities observe that requiring a doctor’s note to return to work or school overburdens already busy offices, increases spread of the virus, and exposes patients sick with influenza to potential complicating infections,” Williamson said. “During an outbreak of influenza, do not go to your doctor’s office just for a note; in most instances neither employers nor faculty should require a note.”
The Wichitan September 16, 2009
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Campus briefs Wednesday • Constitution Day Events starting at 3 p.m. in the CSC • Cheerleader Poster Sale at 9 a.m. in the CSC Arrowhead • Athletic Luncheon and Update at noon in the Wichita Falls Museum of Arts at MSU • Afternoon Conversations: the Twilight of the German Left at 4 p.m. in the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery • WFMA Live @ the Lake at 5:30 p.m.
Thursday • Museum Screening: ‘Tornado Aftermath’ at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU at 5 p.m.