H1N1 Update for 9/10/09

Updated September 10, 2010, 6 p.m.

Greetings to everyone from the Student Health Service.

The questions on the minds of many students and staff  seem to be, “Are there cases of H1N1 at Lewis & Clark?” and “What can I do to protect myself?”    We want to take this opportunity to answer these questions and direct our community members to helpful resources. 

In the past week, we have seen just a handful of cases of flu-like symptoms in our Health Service.  To this point, all of these students are recovering well.  Please be aware that health care providers nationally have been instructed that laboratory testing to confirm H1N1 will only be supported in unusual cases, e.g., in the case of someone with a compromised immune system.  That means, in healthy individuals, we are not able to perform definitive lab testing to diagnose H1N1.  In the absence of lab testing, we are assuming that cases of flu-like illness are probably H1N1. Our approach and assumptions are consistent with guidance we’ve received from the Center for Disease Control and state and local public health agencies. 

Some of the students who have presented to us with flu-like symptoms have lived off-campus.  One student even contacted us from their parents’ home where they were isolating.   All of the students that we have met with have been instructed to isolate themselves for a period of 24 hours after fever is gone. 

Given that our Lewis & Clark community is a microcosm of the general public, we expected that H1N1 would show up on campus.  We are not unusual among colleges or universities.   In fact, 72 percent of the 236 colleges and universities serving as surveillance sites for the American College Health Association reported cases of influenza-like illness for the week ending September 4.  These 236 colleges reported a total of 4,974 cases, with just eight hospitalizations.   We continue to work hard to do all we can to prepare for additional cases. 

So what can you do to protect yourself?  Remember, with this disease, the typical individual is contagious before they are symptomatic.  So, follow the guidance that we’ve been giving all along: Stay informed.  Wash your hands. Cover your cough.  Isolate if sick.   Individuals at high risk for complications should contact their medical provider (e.g., the Student Health Service for students) soon for individualized consultation.  In addition to isolating themselves, students with flu-like illness should telephone the Student Health Service (503-768-7165), where they can get medical consultation and help with meals and self-care supplies.  More guidance for ill individuals is available on our H1N1 website, where there are links to information for students, parents, and employees. 

We will provide more updates on this website as needed.  We encourage you to subscribe to our H1N1 RSS feed for updates.

If you have questions after reviewing our website, please feel free to contact our Health Promotion and Wellness Office at 503-768-7112.

Best wishes to everyone for staying well!

John Hancock, Ed.D.

Associate Dean of Students, Director of Wellness, Chief Psychologist