Swine Flu (H1N1) Information
Information for Students
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.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners* are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.
- Get vaccinated for both the seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine) flu; vaccinations will be available in October.
What to do if you get the flu:
Symptoms of flu include fever of 100F or more, plus cough and/or sore throat, and may also include body aches, headache, runny nose, congestion, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting.
- If you develop symptoms, call your primary care physician immediately.
- If you miss class due to flu symptoms, notify your professor.
- If you are diagnosed with the flu or have flu-like illness, and you can do so, return home until you have no fever for 24 hours; if you cannot return home, then self-isolate in your room until there is no fever for 24 hours.
- If you are sick and sharing a common space with other household members in your home, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, to help prevent spreading the virus to others.
- Using a telephone or other electronic means, notify your teachers and instructors that you are ill; and, if you live in University Village, notify your RD.
- Notify your roommates and/or other close contacts that you are ill.
- DO NOT TAKE ASPIRIN IF YOU HAVE FLU OR FLU LIKE ILLNESS.
- Identify a support system for obtaining food and other supplies.
In the event of a pandemic, you should have a reserve of bottled water and/ canned and dry foods on hand.
Questions for Students
1. Should I wear a mask because I have roommates who may develop the flu? If your roommates have flu-like symptons, they should wear a mask to prevent spread. The current situation does not warrant well persons wearing masks. We remind the campus community that H1N1flu is considered no worse than seasonal flu and its symptoms are similar to those of the seasonal flu.
2. Will the university close housing if H1N1 cases are confirmed?
The university will make a closure andn/or evacuation decision based on consultation with county and state health officials after a thorough assessment of the health threat to the campus community.Due to the relatively mild nature of the illness, CDC is not recommending closures at this time.
3. How will you communicate with me?
Updates will be sent out through Pipeline emails, updates to the aug.edu/flu website and Jaguar Alerts as well as communication from your RA.
4. What is the university doing to contain the virus?
We are doing everything we can to educate and inform our students, staff and faculty about this virus and how to protect themselves and others. We are also updating our messages as new information is available.
5. Is there a threat to University Village students in particular?
This flu is no more severe than regular flu. However, since there is no vaccine for the H1N1 virus, we must work as a community to protect those in our population who are at an increased risk. University Village is not at any increased threat; but students there are in closer contact with each other than in other areas of the university community. They have more opportunity to spread this virus, and need to be extra diligent about washing their hands and covering their noses and mouths when they cough or sneeze.
6. Is Augusta State asking students to leave campus and recover at home if suspected or confirmed of having H1N1?
Currently, the CDC recommends, if you are sick with flu-like illness, you should self-isolate in your room or home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine).
To prevent further spread of H1N1 and have the supportive environment needed to recover, at this time the university is asking students to leave campus and recover at home. However, we recognize that not all students will be able to leave. Therefore, students may return to campus housing with specific instructions for self-care and for other students they may come in direct contact with.
8. Will there be somewhere for students to stay who that are sick this fall?
We will ask students to go home if possible. The severity of the flu strain and number of students who are sick at any one time will dictate what Housing is able to provide. As University Village is nearly full,it is not likely that there will be other spaces into which a sick student can move. Well students often can stay with another friend on or off-campus for the 5-7 day period the student is contagious. Arrangements for food and monitoring will be coordinated by the RA.
9. Will the appropriate flu vaccines be available for the student population?
We have a robust flu program each year and this year will be no exception. We are monitoring CDC information regarding a possible H1N1 vaccine. As more information comes available, we will evaluate our response and actions. We anticipate that if a H1N1 vaccine is available, we would offer that as well as the general flu vaccine.
ASU's Nursing Department will conduct a flu clinic at their annual health fair on Wednesday, Oct. 7. They expect to have flu vaccine available for both the seasonal flu and the Novel H1N1 (Swine Flu). 'Only a limited amount of the vaccine is available, so please reserve your spot now. Cost: Seasonal Flu Shot, $15; FluMist Nasal Spray, $20.Novel H1N1 (Swine) Flu Shot: free with valid ASU ID; $5, general public.Call 706-737-1725 for information and to reserve your vaccine.
10. What do I do about classes missed?
All persons who are told they have the flu or flu-like illness should notify their professors immediately via telephone or other electronic means as well as the Dean of Students (706-737-1411) and the RAs.