Update 10-20-09
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
At this time we are starting to see a number of people in the Benedictine community with influenza like illness, however this is not a cause for concern. We must all be very diligent in using good personal hygiene and avoiding people that are coughing, sneezing or appear ill.
Currently, the 2009 H1N1 flu has been primarily a mild-to-moderate illness, very similar to what we see with regular seasonal flu. However, if you have a chronic medical condition such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, lung disease, an immune system disorder or you are pregnant, you may be at greater risk for complications from the flu. Therefore, it is important for you to seek medical advice when you are sick with flu symptoms.
Student Health Services has been in contact with the Illinois Department of Health regarding the availability of H1N1 flu vaccine for the campus. They are hoping to be able to deliver the vaccine between the first and the middle of November. At this time we do not know the exact number of doses we will receive. You will be notified when we receive the vaccine by campus e-mail. Talk with your health care providers about whether you should be vaccinated for H1N1. If you are at higher risk for flu complications, you should consider getting the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it is available.
All seasonal influenza vaccinations (not H1N1) have been distributed during the past few weeks to the campus community through Student Health Services. This year more students than usual took advantage of the service. This is good news, but unfortunately resulted in the University running out of the vaccine early and we will not be able to obtain additional doses. If you still wish to receive a seasonal influenza vaccine, please visit your doctor’s office or local immediate care clinic. You may also visit http://www.idph.state.il.us/flu/vaccine.htm to find a flu vaccine location for your area.
Student Health Service advises you to take the following precautions to help yourself and others stay healthy.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue away in a waste basket. If you do not have a tissue, sneeze or cough into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash your hands (for 20 seconds) often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleansers with at least 60% alcohol are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you get sick with influenza, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Those within a two-hour commute from campus should go home!
- If you have a fever (100° F or above) and flu like symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting) you will need to isolate yourself from others to limit the spread of the virus. You will need to stay home for 24 hours after you no longer have a fever without using fever reducing medications. Drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest.
Employees: It is important that you follow your department’s procedure for reporting absences in the work place.
Students: If you will be absent from class due to symptoms of influenza, you should send a single e-mail message addressed to all of your course instructors. Each instructor will forward your message to Donna Madia, Assistant to the Associate Provost, at dmadia@ben.edu for tracking purposes. We are cooperating with the DuPage County Health Department in tracking flu related absenteeism on our campus. No names are used, only the number of illnesses and the age of individuals.
Your cooperation in helping to keep our campus healthy is greatly appreciated.
Benedictine University's Emergency Response and Recovery Team (ERRT) is monitoring the situation closely and is working with the DuPage County Health Department. We will alert the community with any information specifically affecting Benedictine.
The H1N1 virus is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza. Swine flu does not normally infect humans. However, human infections do occur, usually after exposure to pigs. Symptoms resemble those of the regular flu, including sore throat, coughing and fever. According to the World Health Organization, the viruses found in the United States are susceptible to Tamiflu and Relenza.
Human-to-human transmission is the primary reason for precautionary measures. To prevent infection, be sure to follow proper hygiene measures such as frequent and thorough hand washing. There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective. Remember, there are hand sanitizers in every campus building.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Preventing H1N1 Flu
For more information about the H1N1 virus, including symptoms to look for, visit:
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