Important H1N1 (Swine) Flu Prevention and Response Information for the CEA Community

November 5, 2009

Important H1N1 (Swine) Flu Prevention and Response Information for the CEA Community

CEA has developed plans for monitoring and responding to cases of H1N1 flu (a.k.a. "swine flu"), a virus which is expected to have a significant impact on college campuses globally this fall and winter. The CEA H1N1 Emergency Response Team will continue to closely monitor the spread of the virus and will update with new information as it becomes available.

The H1N1 flu can be spread easily from person to person, so CEA is taking steps to prevent its spread at the CEA Global Campuses for as long as possible. Campus Directors are working closely with the Departments of Health in their countries where CEA students are studying to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning our students, faculty and staff.

Please read the important information listed below and check this website regularly for the latest updates.

How the Flu Virus is Spread

The main way that influenza viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled (generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Though much less frequent, the viruses also can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else's mouth or nose) before washing their hands. All respiratory secretions and bodily fluids of novel influenza A (H1N1) cases should be considered potentially infectious.

The Flu is Highly Contagious

A person can spread the flu starting one day before he or she feels sick. Adults can continue to pass the flu virus to others for another three to seven days after symptoms start. Children can pass the virus for longer than seven days. Symptoms start one to four days after the virus enters the body. Some persons can be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons can still spread the virus to others.

Steps to Help Prevent the Flu:

• Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after sneezing or coughing. Health officials recommend that you carry hand sanitizer with you at all times.
• Hand sanitizer dispensers have been placed in key locations where students congregate on campus.
• One of the best ways to protect against the H1NI flu is to get vaccinated. CEA has established a policy requiring students who enroll in CEA study abroad programs for January, 2010 to be vaccinated at least 3 weeks before leaving the United States. People under age 25 are one of the key groups recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to be among the first to receive the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination.
• Health officials also recommend that everyone get vaccinated for the seasonal flu as well. The viruses causing the seasonal flu and the N1H1 flu are different and both vaccines are recommended for college age students.
• When you cough or sneeze, do so into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands. Or cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and then promptly discard the tissue and wash or sanitize your hands thoroughly.
• Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth. People often get the flu when they touch something that has the virus on it and then touch their eyes, nose or mouth.
• Clean common contact surfaces (telephones, countertops, doorknobs, etc.) on a regular basis with a disinfectant.
• Other preventive measures that can help prevent the flu included: do regular moderate cardio workouts; take a multi-vitamin daily; and get eight hours of sleep a night to help reduce stress, boost the immune system and ward off illness.
• And, don't smoke. Smoking reduces your immune system's ability to fight diseases. Steps to Take Before Flu Season Begins
• Have the following items on hand in case you get sick and need to stay in your room, apartment or family home.
• Working digital thermometer or Temp-o-dots
• Fever reducing medication that contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Tissues
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Clear liquids (e.g. sports drinks, ginger-ale, chicken broth or bouillon), jello, ice-pops, etc.
• Saltines, Ritz-crackers, canned soup with noodles or rice, etc.
• Other items that may be useful and help avoid the need to make trips out in public while you are sick

Flu Symptoms

H1NI flu symptoms are similar to seasonal influenza symptoms and include the sudden onset of fever, chills, body aches or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, coughing, headache, tiredness, diarrhea or vomiting. Sore throat, cough and fever are the most common symptoms.

What to do in case you have the flu:

• The CDC recommends that anyone with influenza-like illness remain in their residence until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever of 100° F (37.8° C) or higher without the use of fever-reducing medications.
• Avoid all unnecessary contact with others until your fever has been gone for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
• Keep 6 feet of space between you and others to avoid the spread of germs.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Take acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) or ibuprofen for aches and fever.
• Do not drink alcohol while taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Take a cool shower to bring down the fever.
• Inhale warm steam for a cough.
• Gargle with warm salt water for a sore throat.
• Drink hot water with lemon and honey to soothe a sore throat.
• If you develop a severe respiratory problem such as shortness of breath, vomiting and the inability to keep fluids down, or a change in mental status, contact your local physician or health care facility near campus and notify immediately the CEA Office of the Campus Director.
• Faculty and staff should contact their primary care physician or local health facility.

Information for Students

Students who have flu symptoms do NOT have to go to the local physician or Health Facility unless they fall into the following categories:

• Have a medical condition that puts them at increased risk of severe illness from flu (e.g. pregnancy, diabetes, heart-condition, asthma or other chronic illness). Develop severe flu-like symptoms such as sustained fever of 101° F or higher after taking fever-reducing medicine, shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, or rapid breathing.

Students who have flu symptoms should:

• Notify the CEA Global Campus Director’s office that you are ill and stay connected with them by email or phone during the course of your illness.
• Do not go to classes and limit interactions with other people except to seek medical care for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever of 100° F (37.8° C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Some people with influenza will not have fever; therefore, absence of fever does not mean absence of infection. You should stay away from others during this time period even if they are taking antiviral drugs for treatment of the flu. For more information, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/exclusion.htm.
• It is your, the student's, responsibility to notify your faculty members if you are ill and cannot attend class. Email is the preferred medium. Flu illness is considered an excused absence. However, course work must be made up as worked out with the faculty member for that course.
• Keep up with the course work by communicating with their instructors via email or other technology available to them on campus. If an ill student is unable to fully keep up with the course work, email communication should be maintained in order to clarify with the instructor how the work may be made up.
• Arrange to make up course work as directed by the faculty. Faculty are expected to offer reasonable flexibility regarding required course attendance and assignment due dates in light of student illnesses. This includes provision for make-ups for missed exams (including finals) due to illness.
• Identify a “buddy”. Each CEA Campus has established a “Buddy” system whereby each student has identified a “buddy”, most likely a roommate, who can remain in the room with the ill student and who can assist the ill student with meals and medications as needed. The healthy student will be educated to maintain a distance of 6 feet unless delivering meals, medication or course work and both students will wear a mask when they are in the room together. Masks will be available from the Campus Director’s office. (Please note, if a student wants to be separated from a roommate who becomes ill with the H1N1 flu, that choice can be permitted. However, any additional expense for lodging during that period of time must be the responsibility of the student and/or their parents since there are no vacant facilities on site at CEA campuses.)
• Report your illness to the staff in the office of the Campus Director who will maintain a log of students who have reported their illness by phone or email. Designated staff will phone or email with ill students on a daily basis.
• If close contact with others cannot be avoided, always wear a protective mask during the period of contact. Avoid kissing, sharing eating or drinking utensils, or having any other contact between persons likely to result in exposure to respiratory droplets.
• Wash your hands frequently and follow good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette so they don't unknowingly infect others.
• If you have to be around others, stay as far away from them as you can. A minimum distance of six feet is recommended. Avoid crowds such as sport events or concerts and if possible do not use public transportation.

Information for Faculty

Some of these guidelines may be inconsistent with regular institutional practice but are necessary in light of the risk of the spread of infections, the need to contain that spread as much as possible, while giving faculty the widest latitude in completing the delivery of course material and students the best opportunities to fulfill their course requirements.

• It is the student's responsibility to notify the Campus Director if he/she is sick and cannot attend class. Email is the preferred medium. Notify the CEA Global Campus Director’s office that you are ill and provide them an update daily of your health status.
• If a student is absent for two consecutive class meetings without having contacted the instructor, the instructor should notify the Campus Director and the Campus Director/Housing Coordinator contact the student to determine the reason for the absence.
• Faculty should provide instructions for ill students to keep up with the course work, or to facilitate making up the missed material by use of WebEx or other technology available on campus. In some situations when significant numbers of students are absent from a class, the CEA Campus Director will assign note takers who will send the notes to absent students by email.
• Faculty should be flexible regarding required course attendance and assignment due dates in light of student illnesses. Make-ups for missed exams (including finals) due to illness should be provided. Any student whose absences due to certified illness extend beyond the maximum allowed without penalty must apply for a waiver of the attendance requirement to the Dean/Assistant Dean.
• Faculty who fall ill should immediately report their illness to the Program Director and/or Dean who will determine, in light of the circumstances, whether the faculty member can continue leading the course from home or whatever other action may be decided (see below). If the Chair falls ill, the Dean's Office becomes responsible.
  • Ill faculty are expected to remain at home.
  • If able to continue leading the course while ill, the faculty member can do so using technology available on that campus.
  • If unable to continue leading the course while ill, the faculty member should make materials available to a possible substitute faculty member.

Information for Staff

• If you feel sick with flu-like symptoms stay home for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever of 100° F (37.8° C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Some people with influenza will not have fever; therefore, absence of fever does not mean absence of infection. You should stay away from others during this time period even if they are taking antiviral drugs for treatment of the flu.
• If you get sick at work, go home as soon as possible. If this is not possible separate yourself from others and wear a mask.
• If you feel sick or are at higher risk of complications from the flu, contact your health care provider by phone.
• If possible in your country, get vaccinated for seasonal flu and H1N1 flu.
• If you are high risk for complications of H1N1 get vaccinated by your health care provider if the government permits in your country. People at higher risk for H1N1 flu complications include, pregnant women, and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes. UNH Health Services has ordered H1N1 vaccine for the campus community. Supplies, however, will be limited. Please consult your primary care physician, local pharmacy or health clinic to see if they have vaccines available.
• Promote prevention by washing hands frequently, using hand sanitizer, wiping down commonly used surfaces with an alcohol or disinfectant wipe, and covering coughs with the inside of your elbow and not your hands.
• Provisions for taking sick days may vary in each country where CEA campuses are located. At a minimum, 5 days of paid sick leave will be covered for each employee who contracts the seasonal or H1N1 flu. If a person contracts both, or must stay home with a sick relative, a full 10 days of paid sick leave will be allowed. Any other circumstances of approved paid leave must be either in compliance with government policy, or must be approved by CEA HR Department in Tempe, AZ.

Emergency Contact Numbers:

Tim Boubek, Director of Admissions and Leader of the Emergency Response Team 480-375-2713.

Additional Information:

www.who.org (The World Health Organization)
www.ecdc.europe.eu (European Center for Disease Prevention and Contol)
www.hnhs.uk (National Health Service in United Kingdom)

Special thank you to CEA’s US Partner University, The University of New Haven www.unh.edu for providing the basic format for this document.