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New year, new you How to get healthy in 2014 >> pg. 5
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2014
VOLUME 107, ISSUE 51
London wary of threat influenza poses Hamza Tariq GAZETTE STAFF Official reports of cases of the dangerous H1N1 influenza strain have been increasingly reported locally and across the country. The flu arrived earlier this year, hitting some areas worse than others, according to Nicole Versaevel, health promotion manager for Western’s health services. Ten deaths and more than 300 hospitalizations have been reported from Alberta alone. “According to Health Canada, the proportion of cases that are 20 to 64 years old is the greatest proportion, so that is a demographic change from previous years,” Versaevel said. According to the Influenza Surveillance Report released by the Middlesex-London Health Unit, 51 confirmed cases have been reported from December 23 to January 5, of which 32 were hospitalized. “Influenza is an illness that can be quite serious, for the very young to older adults. We are always vigilant as to its presence in the community and we are always in contact
with our local health care partners,” said Tristan Squire-Smith, manager of infectious disease control at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “People should know there is a difference between the cold and the flu. Even though the symptoms are similar. With the flu the symptoms are fever, muscle aches, tiredness, cough, sore throat and headaches, whereas if you have a cold it’s pretty rare to get a lot of fevers and headaches,” Versaevel said. According to Squire-Smith, H1N1 is the flu strain that has been confirmed in the labs and the cases being presented. “H1N1 has got a reputation. 2009 was the pandemic year and since then it has been a component of the flu vaccine and it is a component of this year’s flu vaccine. So that means this year’s flu vaccine has a very high level of protection,” he said. According to Versaevel, the simplest things that can be done are washing hands with soap and water, and using hand sanitizers. “Other things that can be done are cough and sneeze into your arm, covering your cough, disinfecting common surfaces such as
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telephones, keyboards, door knobs and such things,” she said. Squire-Smith also emphasized similar precautions and asked that sick people should avoid preparing food for other people. “It is difficult, but it needs to be over emphasized that people need to be reminded that if you’re sick
then stay home, don’t go to class, don’t go to work. People think that they are well enough to go, and then they’re coughing and sneezing and that is how it spreads,” he said. Squire-Smith said that that they are available at the health clinic itself, at local healthcare providers, and at participating pharmacies. He
emphasized that there are no shortages of the vaccine and it isn’t too late to get the flu shot. “For students they can get a flu shot any time just by coming to health services, they can book an appointment, with a health card there is no cost to getting it,” Versaevel said.
Addison and Carter join Helfand’s slate Richard Raycraft NEWS EDITOR
Spencer Fairweather/Naira Ahmed GAZETTE
THREE’S COMPANY. Emily Addison (left) and Jen Carter (right) announced that they have joined Matt Helfand as part of his slate in the upcoming election for University Students’ Council president. They are running for vicepresident internal and vice-president external, respectively.
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The first complete slate for the upcoming University Students’ Council elections has been announced. Emily Addison, current president of the Huron University College Students’ Council, and Jen Carter, current president of the King’s University College Students’ Council, have announced their candidacy on Matt Helfand’s slate. Addison will be running for the position of vice-president internal, and Carter for vice-president external. “I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t been this excited for
something since I ran for [Huron] president last year,” Addison said. “We got some good stuff coming and I’m excited to see what we can do.” Addison, a third-year political science student from King City, Ontario, has been involved with Huron’s Students’ Council since her first year. She served as USC representative in her second year when she ran successfully for president, her current position. Addison explained that she hadn’t thought of running until receiving a call from Helfand. Though the request for a running mate was abrupt, Addison said the connection was immediate. “I think the thing that I really like
about us is that when one of us has an idea the other two are already thinking it,” she commented. “We’re very consistent and everything we say always comes back to students.” It’s a sentiment that Jen Carter, a fourth-year criminology student at King’s, identified with. “It’s hard in a slate to make you have a unified vision, but it wasn’t hard with Matt and Emily and I at all,” Carter said. “It just clicked so perfectly, so I’m very excited about that.” Prior to becoming president of the King’s Students’ Council, Carter served as promotional team >> see USC SLATE pg.2
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