Human Influenza A (H1N1) Information

A Message for Students

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Dear Students,

I am delighted to have returned to my alma mater to serve as the new Dean of Students for Indiana University Bloomington. I look forward to getting to know you and I hope your semester is off to a good start.

As you may know, college campuses across the United States are currently seeing spikes in the number of students with suspected cases of the H1N1 influenza virus as dorms fill up and classes begin for the fall semester. Last spring, the H1N1 virus had a minimal effect on IU's operations but the federal Centers for Disease Control and the Indiana State Department of Health now expect that the H1N1 flu will be more widespread this fall and will have a significantly greater effect on normal activities.

But there's no reason to panic. The virus causes relatively mild illness in most of those infected.

You should follow these basic steps to reduce your risk of contracting H1N1:

• Wash your hands often.

• Avoid close contact with people who have flu-like symptoms.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth so as to limit the spread of germs.

• Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep. Be physically active. Drink plenty of fluids. Eat nutritious food. Don't share food, drink, or utensils.

• Stay home when you are sick. You'll help prevent others from catching your illness.

If you do experience flu-like symptoms, you should isolate yourself. Don't attend class or participate in any campus activity. Typical symptoms include a fever of 100 degrees or higher associated with a sore throat and cough. If you have these symptoms, stay away from others until your fever has been gone for 24 hours without the aid of medications such as Advil or Tylenol.

If you come down with the flu, e-mail your professors and let them know that you are ill and will miss class. We have communicated with the faculty and they should be accommodating. If you run into any problems, please contact my office at (812) 855-8187.

The flu should run its course within a few days. You should only need to contact a health care provider if you have a compromised immune system, or underlying medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma, heart disease, kidney or liver disease. If you fall into this category and experience symptoms, call the IU Health Center at (812) 855-5002 during the day or at (812) 330-3790 between 5 and 11 p.m. during the week and between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekends.

Finally, we recommend that you get the seasonal flu vaccine when it is available.

University and campus emergency planners and health staff are closely monitoring the H1N1 virus and will communicate any new information as it becomes available. Stay informed about campus plans and get other useful information at the campus H1N1 flu page at http://www.iub.edu/~prepare/flu.shtml

We all need to do our part to prevent the spread of infection by following the steps outlined above.

With best wishes for a healthy and safe semester,

Harold "Pete" Goldsmith
Dean of Students
iubdos@indiana.edu