Campus Messages Regarding H1N1 (Swine Flu) H1N1 flu update message for students Dear Loyola Students: I hope your fall semester is off to a happy and healthy start. Recently you received a message from Jeanne Lombardi, director of student health and education services, discussing Loyola’s plans for monitoring and responding to cases of H1N1 flu, a virus which is expected to have a significant impact on college campuses nationwide this fall. As of the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 8, a number of Loyola students had sought medical attention for flu-like symptoms. Five have been confirmed as having H1N1, while others have had colds or other illnesses. All students with H1N1 have recovered or are recovering well. A task force comprising representatives from academic affairs, student development, public safety, and other departments has continued to discuss this issue, and I’m writing today to update you on these plans and to provide some guidelines for remaining healthy and addressing illness-related class absences throughout the semester. While H1N1 flu is similar to seasonal flu in terms of symptoms and recovery, it spreads more quickly because there is no vaccine currently available for it. Loyola is monitoring the ongoing development of an H1N1 flu vaccine, and will provide additional information as progress is made on this effort. Students are encouraged to receive seasonal flu shots to reduce the likelihood that they will contract seasonal flu in the coming months, as well as the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. Seasonal flu clinics will take place:
Shots are $25 by cash, check, or Evergreen. Students are also encouraged to take the following precautions to avoid contracting or spreading H1N1 flu:
Should you develop fever, sore throat, cough, aches, chills, or other flu-like symptoms, please call the Health Center at ext. 5055 to arrange to be seen. Health Center services are also available to graduate students. You will be asked to put on a mask while in the waiting room. Any students seen off campus need to let the health center know if they have the flu. Loyola’s Health Center is an outpatient facility; residential students who become ill and whose homes are within a five-hour drive from campus will be asked to go home under the care of their parents. Those who must remain on campus and who live with roommates should wear masks while in contact with others, and encourage their roommates to wear masks as well. To the best of your ability, self-isolate and remain in your room to avoid infecting others. Most individuals who contract H1N1 flu recover after about three to five days of rest. While class attendance is important, students who are ill should stay home until they have been free of fever for at least 24 hours. Please alert your professors by e-mail as soon as possible if you are going to miss class due to illness. Students who visit the Health Center will be given a discharge form which may be helpful in discussing illness-related class absences with faculty. If you anticipate missing class sessions for more than a week, you should notify the office of academic services (ext. 5050). Faculty have been asked to work with students to accommodate absences due to illness. In rare cases, faculty members may advise a student to withdraw from a course or take an incomplete if a significant number of class sessions have been missed due to illness. Additional information on H1N1 flu, including a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for institutions of higher education, is available on the student health services and education Web site. Throughout the semester, we will provide updates on Loyola’s preparation for and response to H1N1 flu. This information will be available on Inside Loyola. Again, please accept my best wishes for a healthy and productive fall semester. Sincerely, |
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