Sunday, November 22, 2009

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H1N1 Influenza

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To the Appalachian State Community:

As the fall semester begins, please take a few moments to review information on the H1N1 virus (swine flu) located at http://www.emergency.appstate.edu/. This web site is your guide to the latest information on the impact of H1N1 at Appalachian. On Aug. 26, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new guidelines about the best ways to prevent spreading the H1N1 flu. You can also access this information from Appalachian's home page by scrolling down the "Quick Links" on the left hand side of the Web page.

Importantly, faculty and staff who are well but have a family member at home with H1N1 flu can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day. If they become ill, they should notify their supervisors and stay home using available leave (sick leave, vacation, bonus leave or flexible furlough program). Employees who have an underlying medical condition or who are pregnant should call their health-care providers for advice or care - including whether they should receive influenza antiviral drugs to prevent illness - before reporting to work.

People who are at high risk of complications from H1N1 infection - for example, persons with certain chronic medical conditions, children less than 5 years or adults 65 years or older and pregnant women - should consider their risk of exposure if they attend public gatherings in communities where influenza A virus is circulating. Employees who are experiencing an acute respiratory illness with a fever greater than 100 degrees along with cough, nasal congestion or sore throat: Should not come to work and should stay away from others (self isolate). Those who wish to seek medical care should contact their health-care provider to report illness by telephone or other means before seeking care. If persons with these symptoms must leave their home (for example, to seek medical care or other necessities), they should cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. A surgical loose-fitting mask can be helpful, but a tissue or other covering is appropriate, too. They should stay home from work, school and any community gatherings for 24 hours after their fever resolves. Their fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine (antipyretic). Employees should use available leave (sick leave, vacation, bonus leave or flexible furlough program) if they need to stay home from work.

Here are a few notes of special interest to faculty members:

  • A person with a temperature above 100 degrees and a cough or sore throat should seek treatment and stay away from class, work, and public gatherings until he or she has been free from fever for at least 24 hours. Please note that fever-reducing medications, such as ibuprofen, may artificially diminish fever even while victims remain infectious. Please use caution and do not rush back into daily activities until you are sure that you will not infect others.
  • Students will not be able to prove that they have H1N1, since most cases will not be confirmed.
  • Student Health Services does not issue medical excuses even under normal circumstances, so instructors will have to use their own judgment in determining the justification for excused absences. Because of the highly contagious nature of this virus, it is better to err on the side of generosity in excusing students who have flu symptoms; these students should not feel pressure to attend class.
  • For absences that occur near the end of the semester, the question of a medical withdrawal might come up. In some cases medical withdrawals may be the only option, but instructors should keep in mind that with medical withdrawals students lose the tuition and fees that they paid for their courses, so instructors should consider other options, including incompletes, for affected students who are otherwise in good standing.
  • Under the current CDC protocol, students will probably be absent for no more than three or four days. We will monitor changing CDC guidelines and post information at http://www.emergency.appstate.edu/. Another major source of information is http://www.flu.gov/
  • Instructors are advised to have material available on ASULearn to help classes continue to function if students or teachers must be absent with the flu. Assistance with AsULearn can be arranged through Learning Technology Services at http://lts.appstate.edu/support/asulearn.php