H1N1 Update from the Office of the President

What are your thoughts?

Members of the UA Community,

With the fall 2009 semester now in full swing at The University of Arizona, many members of the extended UA community have expressed concern about how the H1N1 influenza virus, commonly referred to as the H1N1 flu, may affect our students, faculty and staff. I am writing to address those concerns.

We are prepared
Last year, key UA personnel completed a comprehensive pandemic management plan, which can be viewed at:http://cert.arizona.edu/pandemic_plan.html. We now are implementing appropriate provisions of this plan, particularly those involving communications on how to avoid, or if necessary, treat the flu.

At all times, we take guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which tells us that this flu is contagious, but generally milder than annual seasonal flu strains we deal with every year. The CDC has issued a set of guidelines for universities and colleges that minimize the spread of this virus in tight living quarters like residence halls and Greek houses. To see the CDC's guidelines for universities, click here:www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/guidance.

UA status
So far this semester, the UA Campus Health Service has encountered 19 students who tested positive for flu. Of those, H1N1 flu was confirmed in 13 cases. In all cases, the students' flu symptoms were mild to moderate. None required hospitalization and all students are recovering or have fully recovered.

It is possible that the UA will report higher rates of H1N1 flu than other universities or large institutions, but it will not necessarily mean we are actually experiencing more H1N1 flu than elsewhere. Rather, higher numbers of flu may be reported simply because we are testing more cases for H1N1 flu than other institutions may be. We are doing this at the request of the Pima County Health Department, to help them track the spread of the virus in this area.

Looking ahead
We expect to learn of many more cases among students, faculty and staff as the semester progresses, and we are ready to respond appropriately. To date, we have communicated to students, parents and employees about what they should do to minimize the chances of contracting the flu, as well as how best to treat it, if necessary. Those communications will continue as long as H1N1 flu is present on campus.

Currently, we are ready in the event students living in campus housing contract the flu, and we will implement CDC guidelines on how to minimize the spread of the illness. For instance, affected students may be provided masks to wear, and food may be brought to their rooms so that they can eat without risk of exposing others in campus dining facilities.

We are told to expect delivery of vaccines for this flu by late October. Seasonal flu shots are available now, and it is recommended that everyone get those shots now to protect against contracting seasonal flu. It is important to get both immunizations, as shots for one flu type will not protect against getting the other.

What you can do
There are many things that each of us can do to prevent the spread of this virus. The first recommendation is what not to do: Do not panic. We expect this flu to be widespread but comparatively mild, and we can take simple and familiar steps to minimize its spread.

As always, remember: Wash your hands frequently, sneeze into your sleeve and not your hands, and if you feel sick, stay away from campus until your fever has been gone for 24 hours. I have directed UA units to examine how we can minimize disruptions or hardships that time away from classes or work might cause, because of utmost importance is to do whatever is needed to minimize the spread of the virus.

Stay informed
Updates on the H1N1 flu virus at the UA can be found athttp://cert.arizona.edu/h1n1_news.html. Check back frequently for updates.

Above all, here's to good health and a great semester.