 "Photo: AP")
As the flu season approaches, students at West Virginia University should stay vigilant in helping to contain the virus.
The same also goes for the H1N1 strain, known commonly as swine flu.
The virus hasn’t received quite the same headline treatment as when it first started, but the threat of a pandemic remains.
WVU, like many other colleges across the country, is "bracing for the worst and hoping for the best," said Dr. Jan Palmer, director of WVU Health Service.
According to Palmer, WVU has been communicating with other universities across the country and is following guidelines established for higher education institutions for swine flu outbreaks.
Palmer said that universities are encouraging those with Influenza-like illnesses to take precaution when going outside or being in large groups of people.
"For people that are overall healthy, the recommended thing you should do if you have a Influenza-like iIllness is isolate your home or dorm," he said.
"We do this not for the benefit of those infected but for others to minimize the spread."
Palmer said he has met with Faculty Senate to discuss ways of ensuring students who do isolate themselves due to these viruses will be able to keep up with coursework.
Discussions have also been held with Dining Services to ensure students in dorms can have meals brought to them.
To help prevent getting Influenza, students should seek vaccinations for the annual, seasonal flu.
MedExpress will begin offering flu shots Sept. 8 for $20 at all of its locations and hopes to offer a swine flu vaccination "mid-October," according to a press release.
Student Health will also be offering flu vaccination clinics Sept. 28 and Oct. 6. from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The cost will be $10 per vaccination.
Students can also charge that fee to their student account, Palmer said.
Like MedExpress, Palmer said WVU will begin swine flu vaccinations as soon as they become available, also tentatively scheduling a mid-October date.
For now, though, Palmer encourages the same precautionary measures that have long been stressed – such as using an alcohol-based sanitizer, coughing into your elbow and using tissues and throwing them away.
In addition to isolating themselves, Palmer suggests that anyone with the symptoms of Influenza should call Student Health and not go into the office physically to limit the transmission of the virus.
So far, no cases of swine flu have been detected at the University.
By following simple steps – such as covering coughs, disposing of tissues and treating symptoms seriously, WVU can minimize the effects of both swine and seasonal flus.
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