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Student Health Center Recommendations

University Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Influenza-like Illness should be away from others.

There is presently no vaccine to protect against novel H1N1 virus.  However, a novel H1N1 vaccines currently in production and may be ready for the public in the fall.  When the vaccine for H1N1 is made available to our university community we will apprise the campus population through the Office of the Associate Vice President, Office of University and Media Relations. 

If you are sick with flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends that you “stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone, except to get medical care or other necessities.  (your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.”

Flu Symptoms
Fever (Temperature 100F or higher)
Cough
Runny Nose
Nasal Congestion
Nausea/Vomiting, diarrhea may also be present
Body aches

Please Take These Everyday Steps To Protect Your Health:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water (for at least 20 seconds), especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Epidemiologic data collected during spring 2009 found that most people with the H1N1 influenza virus who were not hospitalized had a fever that lasted 2 to 4 days; this would require an exclusion period of 3 to 5 days in most cases.  Those with more severe illness are likely to have a fever for longer periods of time.  Although fever is a component of the case definition of influenza-like illness, the epidemiologic data collected during spring 2009 found that a minority of patients infected with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus with respiratory symptoms did not have a fever.

Sick individuals should stay at home until the end of the exclusion period, to the extent possible, except when necessary to seek required medical care.  Sick individuals should avoid contact with others. 

Keeping people with a fever at home may reduce the number of people who get infected, since elevated temperature is associated with increased shedding of influenza virus.   CDC recommends this exclusion period regardless of whether or not antiviral medications are used.  People on antiviral treatment may shed influenza viruses that are resistant to antiviral medications.

Timely assessment of all students or personnel will be performed to facilitate resolution and return to active class/duty status.

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