University of California campuses on alert for swine flu outbreak

Published 30 September 2009

University of California campuses have been active informing students, faculty, and staff about swine flu; the medical centers on these campuses have emergency plans

Wash your hands. Cover your cough. Stay informed. This is what students on the different campuses of the University of California are being told, and university authorities prepare for a possible surge in H1N1 flu cases. UC health and emergency operations officials have been developing plans to address H1N1, also known as swine flu, and will continue to adapt their responses at the campus and systemwide level as events evolve. For now, they are encouraging students, faculty and staff to practice good hygiene and minimize the spread of H1N1 while also taking steps to be ready for a flu outbreak.

Campuses have distributed fliers and posters with information about preventing H1N1. UC Irvine students in residence halls received colorful doorknob hangers to post if they get the flu that say: “Caution! Sick Anteater Inside This Room.”

Although we expect an increase in flu cases this year — including flu caused by the H1N1 virus — the campus community has the resources we need to reduce the risk of spreading the illness,” UCLA Chancellor Gene Block wrote in a letter to students and families.

Of the nation’s colleges tracking influenza-like illnesses, 91 percent have reported cases, up from 83 percent the previous week, according to the American College Health Association. Most cases have been mild, lasting five to seven days. At Washington State University, at least 2,000 students reported having H1N1 symptoms. So far, flu cases have been relatively low on UC campuses. UC Berkeley, however, noticed an uptick in flu-like cases after fall classes began. Other campuses could follow.

We’ve had five to 10 students visit Student Health Services with flu-like illness each week all summer, but it’s very likely that the number will increase rapidly when students return,” said Dr. Regina Fleming-Magit, director of UC San Diego Student Health Services. “We’ve anticipated a surge in illness and have a number of practices in place that we hope will protect students from becoming sick, and to care for them if they do become ill.”

UC is working systemwide to educate students about H1N1, encouraging good hygiene, monitoring the outbreak and coordinating with external agencies to determine if additional measures should be recommended at the 10 campuses or five medical centers.

The medical centers are working closely with the public health departments to be prepared for an influx of influenza in the fall,” said Grace Crickette, UC chief risk officer.

UC convened a Pandemic Advisory Group, an expert panel of disaster medicine and infectious disease specialists drawn from faculty and staff throughout the UC system, to advise senior leadership across the system on appropriate measures to protect the university community against H1N1. The group has issued guidances to help campuses and medical centers form policies for managers and supervisors, health care provider vaccination, university residence halls and university child care centers and camps.

The H1N1 preparations build upon other emergency planning to address campus issues and health concerns. UC Irvine Medical Center has bolstered its emergency readiness by becoming a Point of Dispensing. That means it will receive and distribute medicine and related supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile to protect people in case of a public health emergency such as a bioterrorism attack, earthquake or flu outbreak.

We have pulled together key campus departments and incorporated guidance from the [UC Pandemic Advisory Group] to help us prepare for what could potentially be a significant burden of illness on campus in the upcoming months,” said Dr. Brad Buchman, medical director of UC Berkeley University Health Services.

Getting a flu vaccination continues to be the best thing people can do to prevent hospitalizations and deaths related to flu, public health experts say. There are two different vaccines, one for seasonal flu and one for H1N1 flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all students get vaccinated for seasonal flu. The CDC has also placed individuals younger than 24 in the top priority group for receiving the H1N1 vaccination when it becomes available. UC guidelines call for UC health workers to get vaccinated - or those who decline must wear a surgical mask during flu season in all patient contact areas.

Good hygiene also helps. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough into your elbow if a tissue is not available.

Faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to isolate themselves from others for at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medication.