Written by Kim Kokernot
Harding officials confirmed Wednesday that the 2009 H1N1 virus has found its way to campus and has infected several students.
Better known as swine flu, this rapidly spreading virus has caused mild flu symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Many people infected by the virus have also reported vomiting and diarrhea.
Students with confirmed cases of the flu have been asked to self-isolate by staying in their dorm rooms, and limit their contact with other students in order to deter the spread of illness.
Because the H1N1 virus is new, the World Health Organization said that they expect few people to have any immunity to it.
An estimated 30 percent of people that are exposed to the H1N1 virus will become infected,Ed Barham, spokesman for theArkansas Health Department, said in a phone interview Wednesday.
But health officials and Dean of Students David Collins have urged students not to be alarmed.
“We want [students] to understand that it’s not something to panic about because the symptoms that we are seeing are less severe than in the common flu in most cases,” Collins said. “We feel the responsibility to educate students in what the reality of the circumstances is, and how they can take care of themselves and others.”
The flu is thought to be contagious for a full day before symptoms develop, which generally last from five to seven days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that anyone who has had flu symptoms stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone.
According to the CDC, the virus is most commonly transmitted from person to person in the respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. When a sick person sneezes, virus-infected droplets can travel a distance of around five feet. The CDC also said that the virus can survive on contaminated surfaces for two to eight hours.
Practicing unhygienic habits like sharing food and drink, along with living in close quarters, has caused this disease to spread across college campuses nationwide.
Cases of flu-like symptoms have been reported in every Arkansas county, but Barham said that the virus is so widespread that there is no longer any benefit in saying that there is “a case here and a case there.”
“You’re not going to be able to stay away from it anymore, so you have to protect yourself,” Barham said.
To prevent illness, students are encouraged to wash their hands frequently, use hand sanitizer and avoid contact with sick friends.
Director of Health Services Lynn McCarty asks that students who test positive for the flu to practice the Golden Rule and “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
“If you are running a fever of over 100, are miserable, throwing up, coughing and all of this, it’s time to take time out and get yourself better, not sit in chapel and expose three rows to what you’ve got,” McCarty said.
She is encouraging students to work with the Department of Student Health Services if they do get sick.
“With good communication in letting us know, we’ll work with everybody about getting their classes excused, talk to the chapel office and do whatever we can to help out,” McCarty said. “I’m certain their professors will work with them so that they can do part of their homework online and get their notes.”
Though the symptoms of this virus are less severe than the seasonal flu, it can be especially dangerous to those with pre-existing conditions like pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease. The CDC reported that about 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with the H1N1 virus have had one or more of these “high risk” conditions.
Individuals that fall into this category will be considered first when the vaccine is made available to the public in mid to late October.
The federal government currently estimates that 45 million doses of the vaccine will be made available for distribution; within six months they hope to have enough doses distributed to meet U.S. demands. The vaccine will be provided free of charge to the public, but private sector providers may be allowed to charge an administrative fee estimated at $15.
Those that get an annual seasonal flu vaccine will not be protected from the newest flu strain and will also need to be vaccinated for the 2009 H1N1 virus.
McCarty said that she has ordered 300 doses of the seasonal flu vaccine, which should arrive the third weekend of October.
“The seasonal flu vaccine is 70 to 90 percent effective at preventing [those vaccinated] from getting the flu,” Barham said.
He said he hopes that the H1N1 vaccine will have similar results and aid in slowing down the spread of the virus.
