UD task force braces for fall outbreak of H1N1

The H1N1 virus may have blindsided the campus last spring, but the university says it is now prepared to handle the second wave that the Centers for Disease Control warns will hit campuses nationwide this fall.

Marcia Nickle, emergency coordinator of the university's Communicable Disease Working Group, said the group which consists of representatives from the State of Delaware's Division of Public Health, the Newark Police Department, Public Safety, Student Health, the School of Nursing, Residence Life, Environmental Health and Safety and the Agriculture School, have met a few times over the summer to assess problems that may arise if H1N1 strikes again.

Its goal is to develop emergency plans and educational outreach programs, such as the "H1N1 411" Web site they launched last week and poster campaign on campus. The CDWG also added 37 hand sanitizer stations across campus to help members of the campus community keep their hands clean.

Nickle said the university will notify its students when the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines are delivered to Student Health Service. Joseph Siebold, director of Student Health Services said the seasonal flu vaccine is predicted to arrive at the end of September and the H1N1 vaccine is expected to arrive between the end of October and the beginning of November.

The CDWG suggests students receive the seasonal flu vaccine when it becomes available because it protects them from the seasonal flu and will also help medics diagnose H1N1.

"It'll protect you at least from the seasonal flu for now and then we'll be able to have a better idea of what you've come down with later," Nickle said. "For instance, if we know you've had the seasonal flu vaccine, that'll help us determine how to treat you."

Health Services will offer the seasonal flu vaccine first to "high risk" students who have chronic medical conditions, Siebold said. Once a second shipment is received, the clinics will open up for the general student population.

There is a nominal cost for the seasonal flu vaccine, but the H1N1 vaccine will be free. Siebold says Health Services is still waiting to hear more information about the vaccines.

"The original thinking was that there would be two doses of the H1N1 vaccine but that could also change as information comes back on the vaccine trials done this summer," he said.

The university has not seen any students with H1N1 infection since classes began last week, Siebold said. However, it will take a series of tests to determine if an individual has the seasonal flu or H1N1. Based on the CDC guidelines, Nickle said unless the individual has a serious medical condition, the CDWG is not recommending giving any type of antiviral medication to those who become infected with influenza.The university is still working on developing a plan for sick students who live in residence halls, Nickle said. Students who become infected but do not have serious medical conditions will most likely stay in their assigned residence hall. 

"If you and your roommate are living together and one of you gets the flu, it's likely the other one has already been exposed to it," she said. "So in all likelihood you are both going to get it anyway, but we will look at each individual case." 

Because residence halls are completely full, the committee is only looking at moving students such as those with compromised immune systems or those severely affected by influenza.

Nickle said the CDWG is looking for available space on campus right now for medically compromised students who do become infected.

Although the university is advising students not to come to class if they are sick, the university will not force students who are infected to return home, Nickle said.

"If an option for them is to drive home and spend a couple days there until they feel better, than that is fine with us," she said.

Nickle said the situation would have to be dire for the university to consider closing for a day. The university stayed open last spring when 1400 students visited Health Services and public health clinics to be tested for H1N1, Nickle said.

"For the university to close, the virus would have to be disrupting everything that we do day to day – providing students meals, providing coursework, etc." she said. "We're hoping it won't get to that point but we have provisions in place if that happens."

During the outbreak of H1N1 last spring, the university said they did not issue medical excuses because too many students were going through Student Health Service.

The CDC's recent guidelines for institutions of higher education suggest ill students isolate themselves until 24 hours after their fever subsides. The guidelines also state that colleges should make it "easy for students, and faculty and staff members with flu symptoms to miss class or work."

Over the summer, the CDWG worked with faculty on becoming lenient with students.

"That was a big push we had over the summer," she said. "We were asking faculty to put material on the Web so students have access if they cannot attend class, Nickle said.

Jennifer Wooleyhand, spokeswoman for the Delaware Division of Public Health, said the state of Delaware is working with the Department of Education to determine how to respond to a worst-case scenario.

"At this point, it's at the discretion of the school to close down, and that's pretty much a universal decision," she said.

Wooleyhand said the state will try to maintain some normalcy but if a large number of people need the vaccinations at one time, the state has the ability to set up five emergency health centers. The locations of the centers are yet to be determined, Wooleyhand said.

"In the event of a surprise natural disaster or weather event, this is always the case," she said. "It's the same for flu treatment."