Officials from University Health Services discussed ways for students to protect themselves from the H1N1 virus at an information session Aug. 27.
Dr. Sarah Van Orman, UHS executive director, said she coordinated the meeting to inform people on how to minimize the impact and spread of the disease—which is also known as swine flu—across campus.
According to Van Orman, students should wash their hands frequently, cough and sneeze into their sleeves and keep their hands away from their eyes, nose and mouth to avoid getting sick.
She said people with certain health conditions should also take into consideration their risk of catching a more severe illness.
""Medical conditions that we're focusing on are diabetes, asthma and underlying medical conditions where there's some degree of suppression or general weakness of the immune system,"" Van Orman said.
She also said it is important to go home if sick to stop the virus from spreading. Special steps will be taken for students with H1N1 who are unable to go home to isolate them from other individuals.
""Students who are not able to [go home] are going to be isolated within their rooms—food will be delivered, they're going to be asked to wear a mask when they move to the restroom,"" Van Orman said.
According to Aaron Brower, vice provost for teaching and learning, aside from allowing students to take sick leave, professors will provide additional resources to ensure the continuation of classes.
""We're encouraging instructors to think about the entire range of ways in which instruction can continue,"" he said. ""Some of them are high-tech ways—putting materials online. Some of them are actually remarkably low-tech—having conference phone calls, setting up a kind of Facebook page for classes where the size is manageable that way.""
A two-dose vaccine intended to prevent infection from the virus is expected to be ready by mid-October. Van Orman encourages all students to get the vaccine when it becomes available and hopes to get 50 to 70 percent of the campus vaccinated.
For updates on the H1N1 virus, visit www.flu.wisc.edu.
