Swine Flu ( H1N1) Update

To: Members of the Wellesley College Community

From: Wellesley College Pandemic Preparedness Team

Date: September 16, 2009

Re: H1N1 (Swine) Influenza

This memo outlines the presumed H1N1 cases and describes procedures for ill students.

Presumed Cases
Similar to many colleges, Wellesley is seeing cases of flu-like illness, presumed to be H1N1. 

As of September 15, close to 60 students have reported flu-like symptoms to the Health Service.  Symptoms have tended to be mild, and those who are ill have typically improved within three days.  Influenza-like illness has been reported by students daily for about a week.  Each day this week, we have had on average one to two dozen students in self-isolation. 

A handful of employees have reported absence due to flu-like symptoms.

Health Procedures for Students Experiencing Flu-like symptoms
Ill students should immediately self-isolate and call the Health Service (x2810) to report their symptoms, rather than visiting there.  Students are asked to monitor their temperature three times a day and to take fever reducing over-the-counter medications after they have measured and documented their temperatures.

Students with flu-like symptoms are required to follow recommendations for self-isolation (not leaving their rooms except for bathroom use).  Some local students have opted to go home while ill.  Residence staff are assisting in the distribution of masks (for use by ill students in communal bathrooms), and students and staff are delivering food to ill students.  Health Service staff are reaching out to these students daily.

Since it is important that ill students monitor their temperature and most take over-the-counter medication, we encourage all students to have the following supplies: a digital thermometer, acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen, alcohol-based hand sanitizer and tissues. 

Procedures for Self-Isolation
Current procedures for self-isolation are: 
1) A student in a single remains in her room
2) A student in a double with a roommate remains in her room and the well student is relocated
3) A student in a triple or suite is moved to an empty room. The room temporarily assigned to an ill student is cleaned after a student becomes well. 

Should the number of ill students at one time increase significantly, we will shift to co-horting (housing together those with the same illness) the ill students to attempt to minimize the spread of the illness. Spaces have been identified for this purpose.

Academic Issues
A student who is required to self-isolate due to illness should e-mail her class dean. The class dean will inform the student's faculty members that she is ill. It is recommended that ill students rest.  However, ill students who are feeling well enough to do course work may e-mail a classmate or their faculty member for information regarding course work and assignments.  Once a student is feeling well and has been cleared by the Health Service staff to return to her daily routine, she should contact her professor directly to identify strategies to make up missed work.

It is important for the health of our community that ill students follow the noted guidelines and any additional recommendations of the Health Service staff. For the time being, Health Service has suspended routine medical appointments.

For more information on H1N1 preparedness at Wellesley, visit "Health Alert" online at healthalert.html and for additional information on the Wellesley College Health Service and health education information, visit http://new.wellesley.edu/Health/index.html.

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For Health Alert of 8/31/09, click here.