Ray Whitehouse/The Daily Northwestern
Break out the hand sanitizer – H1N1, more commonly known as swine flu, is back, and early indicators suggest the second wave will hit harder than the first.
In a press release sent out Sept. 11, Alan Cubbage, vice president for University Relations, urged students and staff to use common sense in warding off the H1N1 virus. He encouraged them to wash their hands often, avoid contact with people who are sick and stay indoors if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Students on Freshman Urban Program experienced flu-like conditions this year, and though no one was tested specifically for swine flu, “it was highly contagious,” said Megha Agrawal, a program counselor.
“Once we started seeing a common trend, we had to isolate individuals who came back to campus and make sure they were fever-free before returning back to the main group,” the SESP senior said.
While experts like Dr. John Flaherty, assistant professor of the Feinberg School of Medicine’s Division for Infectious Diseases, said this new wave shouldn’t be much more severe than the first, keeping the vaccine handy will probably prove helpful.
“It would be terrific if we could get the H1N1 vaccine before it really hit here,” he said. “The data shows we respond to the vaccine fairly quickly, after one dose, so that could really change things here.”
For Cubbage, an H1N1 strike at Northwestern is not a matter of if, but when.
“Realistically, there undoubtedly will be more (cases of H1N1) once the academic year is fully underway,” Cubbage wrote.
Cubbage acknowledged in the release that NU has already had confirmed cases since the virus first hit last April, including one confirmed case in September.
University Health Services no longer tests individual cases for the H1N1 strain, but treats all cases of influenza as the swine flu, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 virus a global pandemic in June. Widespread media coverage of H1N1 cases, along with patients concerned they might have the virus, overwhelmed hospital staffs across the country. In accordance with CDC guidelines, University Health Services is encouraging only students with “high risk” factors such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or students who are experiencing warning signs of a severe H1N1 infection such as difficulty breathing, severe vomiting or sudden dizziness, to visit a physician.
As far as NU is concerned, Flaherty said the H1N1 virus will likely return to campus this fall. Education and awareness will play a crucial role in curbing an on-campus swine flu outbreak, he said.
“(The H1N1 virus) tends to spread like wildfire; it’s a very short incubation period, it’s highly transmissible (and) people of college age appear to be particularly susceptible,” Flaherty said.
But Flaherty also said the virus will likely be more widespread than severe: four or five “miserable days” for those who catch the bug, during which time students should isolate themselves in their room and not attend class.
“If you’re sick, stay home,” he said. “If you have fever and body aches, don’t tough it out and struggle your way to class, because you’re not doing yourself any favors and you’re potentially putting others at risk.”
While University Health Services will not refuse a student’s request to see a physician, the staff strongly encourages students without high risk factors or severe flu symptoms to begin isolation without seeking treatment.
University Health Services also offers an H1N1 hotline, or “Swineline,”, as well as two online self-screening forms for students who are concerned they are sick with the virus or have come into contact with it.
“The good news is (the H1N1 virus) seems to be a fairly typical, which is to say, a not-nice flu,” Flaherty said.
Editor’s note: This story was modified to remove a reporter error.
