Swine flu raises questions; campus has answers

Samantha Bare
Staff Writer

It’s expected to kill 90,000 people this year, according to a presidential advisory press release. It’s also supposed to hit an untraditional target: college students. Swine flu, a topic of national interest, has gained buzz on Wingate’s campus.
Swine flu, or H1N1, is a variation of the influenza virus. It started making news because of the fast rate at which it spreads. It is this potential to infect many people in a short amount of time that makes H1N1 a topic of concern.
So far there have been 9,079 hospitalized cases and 593 deaths in the United States and its territories, a relatively small percentage of the population. However, Wingate is taking no chances and has already laid out guidelines for if H1N1 reaches campus.
Sherrie McCaskill, Director of Health and Wellness at Wingate, explained. "The swine flu is no more dangerous than the seasonal flu; however, the problem is that it is spreading at a much faster rate." She explained that swine flu and seasonal flu do not differ in their treatment. "Generally, young healthy adults recover, even without treatment, within seven days with rest, hydration, isolation and Tylenol for fever and aches," she said.
The university is isolating any student or faculty member believed to have the flu and who cannot go home for recovery. "This is not to scare anybody," said Pat Biggerstaff, Assistant Dean of Student Life. "It’s just to prevent it from spreading and having an impact on campus."
He recognizes that preventing it from ever reaching campus is unrealistic, but with proper planning, limiting its spread will happen. Isolated students will receive masks to wear when they must come in contact with others, such as when their food is brought to them. Isolation can end once the patient is fever free for 24 hours, said Biggerstaff.
When sophomore Vince Jordan started having flu-like symptoms, he wasn’t all that worried when Wingate informed him he needed to go home for a while. "Swine flu is just like regular flu," Jordan said. "Home was only an hour away so for me, it wasn’t a big deal."
While isolation kept Jordan’s symptoms from affecting his roommates, McCaskill cites education as the strongest defense against the transmission of H1N1 across campus. She urges students to practice good hygiene, including washing hands with soap and water often throughout the day, covering a cough with a sleeve, and avoiding people who appear to be sick.
As of last Friday, three students and two faculty had shown flu-like symptoms, which McCaskill assures is a low number when compared to other universities. She asks that anyone in the campus community with flu-like symptoms, notify student health. Keeping an accurate list of people diagnosed with flu or flu-like symptoms enables Wingate to limit H1N1’s spread.
"If you think you have flu-like symptoms, come to student health immediately. If you get sick over the weekend, go to urgent care or the emergency room. If you are diagnosed with flu-like illness, notify student health as soon as possible," said McCaskill. "Emergency signs and symptoms include: dizziness, confusion, short of breath or difficulty breathing, rapid heart rate, chest pains, abdominal pain, severe or persistent vomiting."
For more information, visit the Student Health Clinic, located beside the Klondike, or visit cdc.gov.