University of Arkansas Prepares Campus for Flu Season, Possible H1N1 Cases

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas students, faculty and staff who are concerned about what health officials are calling “the novel H1N1 influenza,” and is commonly known as “swine flu,” can find the most current information at the university’s Web site for emergency information: http://emergency.uark.edu/15497.php.

Thousands of university students, faculty and staff have returned to campus from all over the world. It is likely that some of them were exposed to H1N1 flu at home or during their travels. The disease has been reported in every state in the United States and in nearly every country in the world. The Arkansas Department of Health estimates there have been 1,000 cases of the flu in the state, with one confirmed death.

University and health officials believe that accurate information is the best defense against the virus.

 “It’s not a question of whether there will be H1N1 cases at the University of Arkansas,” said university Provost Sharon Gaber. “We expect that there will be at least a few people who come down with it. The medical staff at the Pat Walker Health Center is prepared to deal with those cases, and to help everyone on campus limit their exposure and protect themselves from the disease.

“Our medical staff remains in close communication with the Arkansas Department of Health, as well as with university housing staff and the office of the chancellor. We are proactively developing contingency plans prior to any possible level of outbreak to avoid disruption to our campus community and minimize any impacts. In the event of an outbreak, we will follow guidelines from Arkansas Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.”

Health Center officials say there’s no reason to panic, but that everyone needs to know the precautions they should take to protect against the virus. That is part of the information included on the Web site, and being sent in messages to students, faculty and staff across campus.

“The approach to the disease has changed dramatically since the spring, when the first cases were reported,” said Mary Alice Serafini, associate vice provost and director of the Pat Walker Health Center. “Obviously, everyone is taking this very seriously, but the fact is that so far this has been a very mild form of influenza. Of course we are taking precautions, and especially want to protect people who are at high risk, but, for example, the Centers for Disease Control are not recommending that schools close if H1N1 cases occur, or that people with the illness be quarantined. However, there are several steps that should be taken by everyone to prevent the spread of the disease, and we are communicating those to the campus community.”

The most basic precaution is thorough and frequent hand washing. It is also recommended that people use hand sanitizer between washings, especially after using shared computers or other equipment.

Another recommendation is that when people cough or sneeze that they do it into a tissue, or into the crook of their arm, not into their hands.

Flu shots are another major source of protection, and when they become available they are strongly recommended.

The symptoms of the H1N1 flu are similar to those of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people with flu have also reported diarrhea and vomiting. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should stay home or in their residence hall room and contact the Pat Walker Health Center. They are advised to stay home from work or classes until 24 hours after their fever breaks.

To help students who are forced to miss classes, faculty members are being asked to put as much class material as possible online so students can keep up with their class work from home or from their residence hall.

“We are not expecting a severe outbreak, but we are prepared if that occurs,” said Serafini. “We have been stockpiling medical masks, hand sanitizer and other necessary supplies since the spring. We have a campuswide planning committee that is anticipating the effects of every level of outbreak, and we are developing plans to address them.”