Colleges Creating Plans to Combat Flu Outbreaks


Infected students could be sent home or isolated in dorms

by Margarita Raycheva | Staff Writer - Gazette.net

For some college students in Frederick County this fall, coming down with the flu may lead to an unexpected trip home. For others, it may mean being isolated in their dorm room for up to a week.

As colleges gear up to ward off the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, amid regular flu season this year, some of them are planning extreme measures to prevent potential large-scale outbreaks.

At Hood College for example, officials are recommending that students with flu-like symptoms stay in their dorm rooms while one person brings them food and necessities.

At Mount St. Mary's University, on the other hand, officials will send home students with flu symptoms for up to five days or until a doctor confirms they are ready to return to class.

"We are just trying to do everything that we can," said Linda Sherman, spokeswoman for Mount St. Mary's. "We don't want to panic people, but we want to be ready."

The H1N1 virus emerged as a major scare last spring, and since then seven people diagnosed with the disease in Maryland have died. In Frederick County, the disease has been much milder and outbreaks have been rare.

But local health officials fear that swine flu cases may increase together with the seasonal flu this fall. That is a particular concern for colleges, where students live in close quarters, share bathrooms and computers and are more difficult to keep in isolation.

Hood's and Mount St. Mary's measures follow H1N1 flu prevention guidelines by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. College officials hope they will help them prevent large-scale swine flu outbreaks on their campuses.

Officials also know that swine flu attacks young people more than adults. In the spring, the average age of people diagnosed with the swine flu virus was 15 to 16, said Dr. Barbara Brookmyer, health officer at the Frederick County Health Department.

"We have had outbreaks in the summer camps," she said. "But it is too early to know whether we will see more of that in the fall."

So over the summer, colleges in the county worked with the health department and prepared detailed plans for tackling the swine flu threat.

At Mount St. Mary's, for example, staff is putting out hand sanitizer dispensers all around campus. In case of a major outbreak, the college plans to provide students and employees with masks and gloves.

But for now, college officials plan to bombard students with e-mails, posters and leaflets, reminding them about keeping basic hygiene, washing their hands, and taking flu shots for the seasonal and H1N1 virus when available.

While the college will schedule clinics for both seasonal and H1N1 flu shots, students are also getting brochures explaining to them why they need to have more than one shot and how that can help them stay healthy, Sherman said.

"Awareness is really the key here," she said.

The college is also asking students to report to the wellness center on campus immediately if they feel sick. If they have the flu's typical symptoms — high fever, sore throat, etc. — students will be sent back home. They will be allowed to return to campus no earlier than 24 hours after they have been fever-free, Sherman said.

For international students and those who come from more distant states, the college will make exceptions and will place them in isolation, Sherman said.

The college decided on that measure because it has a record numbers incoming freshmen this year and officials feared they would not be able to keep students isolated on campus, Sherman said.

The measure should not interfere with instruction in the coming year, Sherman said. Even if students go back home, they can still check their grades on Blackboard, submit online papers and reach their professors by e-mail, she said.

Hood students, on the other hand, will not have to leave campus if they have the flu, said Paula Mullins, the college director of health resources.

But if they get flu symptoms, they should stay in their rooms, avoid contact with others and stay in touch with the school wellness center, which will ensure that they get regular checkups, a healthy meal and continuous supervision.

In addition, Hood also will provide students with prevention brochures, talks about flu prevention and will hold a flu shot clinic for the seasonal flu on Sept. 17 and 18, Mullins said.

"Our plan is pretty much about education and prevention," Mullins said.

Even Frederick Community College officials have taken precautionary steps.

Though students at the college do not live on campus, there is still a possibility that they could bring in viruses, said spokesman Michael Pritchard.

"Our message right now is that if you are sick, you should stay at home," he said.

In addition, college staff has placed disinfectant dispensers at high-traffic areas like testing centers, registration center, and the library. Students can also read about H1N1 symptoms, prevention and treatments on the school's main Web site, he said.

"We are in the education stage of our preparedness," Pritchard said.

While officials are laying out their prevention plans, many Frederick County college students said they are pleased with the measures, even if some of them sound extreme.

Kara Caulfield, a Mount St. Mary's freshman, said she would not mind going back to her home in Long Island if she gets sick.

"I'd rather go home, because then I can actually get treated," she said.

Zach Watchilla, a freshman at the school who lives in Delaware, agreed that sending sick students back home is not a bad idea. Watchilla said he was happy this year when he saw the hand sanitizer dispensers on campus and received an e-mail reminding him about prevention against swine flu.

"I think it's a good thing what they are doing," he said. "You want your school to be prepared. I think they are looking out for the individuals and for everybody."

Flu prevention tips for college students

Do not share things where saliva can be transmitted

Cough in your sleeve and not in your hands

Wash hands with soap and water and use sanitizers

Wipe down shared computer terminals

Eating a well-balanced diet, exercising and getting enough sleep can all help boost the body's defenses

Source: Frederick County Health Department

E-mail Margarita Raycheva at mraycheva@gazette.net.