As we excitedly anticipate a new academic year and the return of students to campus, we want to report that during our summer planning, we have monitored the situation with the H1N1 flu (aka “swine flu”).

Symptoms of this strain of influenza have not been more severe than the usual seasonal flu symptoms, but because it is so easily transmitted we have made preparations for handling a busier-than-usual flu season at Bates.

We have been in contact with the Maine Center for Disease Control and will follow their recommended protocols. We share this information with you now so that you can help slow the spread of the virus and lessen the impact on the community.

Preparation before arriving on campus

• We urge you to bring to campus a “flu kit” containing tissues, hand sanitizer, a digital thermometer, throat lozenges, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen for aches and fever.
• If you are currently experiencing flu-like symptoms (sore throat, fever, cough, congestion), please do not return to campus until you are well. (The CDC recommends isolation until 24 hours have gone by without fever and without taking fever-reducing medication.) If you will return to campus late because of illness, please contact the Dean of Students Office at deanofstudents@bates.edu or 207-786-6219 to let us know, and we will notify your professors.
• Because the CDC protocol is to isolate those infected with H1N1 and we have very limited capacity for isolating ill students, we ask the families of students who live within a 300-mile drive of campus to be prepared to pick up their son or daughter at Bates for recovery at home if he or she comes down with H1N1. If you are within 300 miles of campus, please plan now for that contingency.

After arriving on campus

• Through our Health Center and Residential Life staffs, we will continue to educate students on preventing the spread of the virus. Basic prevention strategies are listed below.
• We encourage students to get the regular seasonal flu vaccine. We expect this vaccine to be available on campus sometime in September, and students can obtain the vaccine through the Health Center for a $10 charge.
• The Maine CDC expects the first of many H1N1 vaccine deliveries to arrive by late October and continue into the winter. These H1N1-specific vaccines will be offered to students through the Health Center free of charge. The vaccine will require two doses, with the second administered about a month after the first. Priority for vaccines will be given to students with pre-existing chronic medical conditions that put them at greater risk of complications from the flu, and the vaccine will then be offered to all students as available. Students at greater risk for complications due to a medical condition should inform Health Center staff of the condition upon returning to campus.
• Students who experience flu-like symptoms should telephone the Health Center at 786-6199. Students should isolate themselves as much as possible when ill — i.e., do not attend classes, practices, meetings, meals in Commons, etc. The Health Center and Dean of Students Office will notify faculty about ill students who are missing classes. Recovery from H1N1 typically takes three to five days.
• The CDC urges isolation for infected individuals. As noted earlier, the College will have only a limited number of beds for isolating students confirmed with H1N1. Again, this is why we are asking parents within reasonable driving distance to come and pick up their ill son or daughter to recover at home. We recognize that ill students will also likely be in the residence halls, because some cases will not be reported to us and we may run out of isolation beds. Whether a student is self-isolating in a residence hall or in one of our designated isolation beds, food will be provided to these students as they should not go to the Dining Commons to eat. Faculty of students who miss classes because of illness will be notified through the Health Center and the Dean of Students office.

General flu prevention strategies

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer. Remember, this is especially important when using public surfaces such as keyboards and touch screens.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Cover coughs and sneezes with your elbow or sleeve.
• When sick, isolate yourself from others as much as possible.

Additional information

The Bates College H1N1 Web site will be updated as warranted. We also suggest keeping updated at the H1N1 Web sites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and for the Maine CDC.

Because our Health Center does not open until students arrive on campus, and because the health care staff will be very busy providing the best care possible to students in what we anticipate to be a busy flu season, we ask that parents please contact the Health Center only for urgent needs. We hope that information provided to you by your son or daughter as well as information on the Web sites provided here will answer most of your questions. If you do need to contact someone in the Health Center, please call 207-786-6199 or e-mail the director, Christy Tisdale, at ctisdale@bates.edu.

Thank you in advance for your help in keeping our community as healthy as possible, and we wish you safe travels to Bates.

Tedd Goundie
Dean of Students

Christy Tisdale
Director of the Health Center

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has confirmed eight H1N1 (swine flu) cases in Maine, with five other cases probable, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The 13 cases involve three adults in Kennebec County, four adults and one youth in York County, two adults and two youths in Cumberland County, and one youth in Penobscot County. All are recovering.

There have been no cases of swine flu reported at Bates College. As the CDC continues to investigate outbreaks of swine flu, Bates encourages students who have flu-like symptoms and/or have recently been to Mexico to call the Health Center at 786-6199. To date, swine flu signs and symptoms have consisted of influenza-like illness including sudden onset of fever, plus cough or sore throat.

For more information from the Maine CDC on H1N1 (swine flu), go to www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml.

The Bates College Senior Emergency Response Group is assessing all new developments that may affect students, faculty and staff. The Health Center has sent messages to all students, faculty and staff in recent days with information about the virus and advice on preventing its spread.

Information for students and families

Classes and activities are continuing as scheduled. We do not anticipate the College needing to close before the end of the Short Term May 29. But should circumstances arise that necessitate an emergency closing, all students would need to leave campus within 24 hours of the announcement. Our concern is for the health and safety of the students, and our goal would be to get students home before there is widespread infection on campus. We therefore ask that students and families make a specific plan now for leaving campus.  If the student is not able to get home on short notice, please identify relatives or friends with whom the student will stay. Should a closure become necessary, updates on re-opening will be provided on the College Web site and via e-mail.

Information for faculty and staff members

Faculty and staff who are experiencing flu symptoms or have a family member in their home with confirmed swine flu should stay home from work, contact their physician, and follow the CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus.  Staff members are asked to contact their immediate supervisor prior to the start of their workday to inform them of their absence, and should plan to use accrued sick time while absent.

Staff and faculty are also asked to e-mail the Human Resources Department at hrdept@bates.edu to inform the College of their exposure to the swine flu.  If you do not have access to e-mail, you may leave a message with the Human Resources Department at 786-6140.  All personal medical information will be kept in strict confidence following HIPAA guidelines.  The information gathered will help inform the college about the level of flu incidences in our employee population.

The community should also monitor the news to stay informed. Public health officials are warning that the disease will continue to spread. Swine flu is thought to spread in the same manner as seasonal flu. Common precautions such as regular hand-washing and avoiding touching your nose, eyes, or mouth, should be practiced. The best sources of information come from the CDC and may be found at its Web site at www.cdc.gov. Students studying abroad should monitor public health announcements and visit the World Health Organization Web site at www.who.int.

Additional information

The recent cases of swine flu provide an opportunity to remind us all of the things we can do to prevent illness and 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 and wash your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also are effective.
• Avoid spreading viruses by not touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Students: What to do if you feel ill

If you feel ill with flu-like symptoms, students should call the Health Center at 207-786-6199.  Do not go to class or work until you have been cleared to do so.

Treatment

• Treatment consists of rest, fluids, and antiviral medications.
• Care providers should assess and treat any additional complications caused by the flu.

After your return from an area that has reported cases of H1N1 (swine flu):

• Closely monitor your health for seven days.
• If you become ill with fever and other symptoms of swine flu like cough and sore throat and possibly vomiting and diarrhea during this period, call the Health Center or your primary care provider for an appointment right away.  Your health care provider may test you for influenza and decide whether influenza antiviral treatment is indicated.
• When you make the appointment, tell your provider’s office the following:  your symptoms, where you have traveled, and if you have had close contact with a person infected with H1N1 (swine flu).
• If you are ill, avoid going to classes or Commons until you have been medically evaluated.

Period of Contagion

• The duration of shedding (the period of contagion) with the swine flu virus is unknown.  Therefore, until data are available, the estimated duration of the viral shedding is based upon seasonal influenza virus infection.  Infected persons are assumed to be shedding virus and potentially infectious from the day prior to illness onset until resolution of fever. Infected persons should be assumed to be contagious up to seven days from illness onset. Some persons who are infected might potentially shed virus and be contagious for longer periods (e.g. immunosuppressed, and immunocompromised persons).

For more detailed information

• Please keep updated at the following CDC Web sites: Http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ and http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml

There have been no cases of swine flu reported at Bates College. As the CDC continues to investigate outbreaks of swine flu, Bates encourages students who have flu-like symptoms and/or have recently been to Mexico to call the Student Health Center at 786-6199. To date, swine flu signs and symptoms have consisted of influenza-like illness including sudden onset of fever, plus cough or sore throat.

For more information from the Maine CDC on H1N1 (swine flu), go to www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml.

Based on the CDC’s elevated pandemic risk announcement, the Bates College Senior Emergency Response Group is meeting as needed to assess new developments that may affect students, faculty and staff. The Student Health Center has sent messages to all students, faculty and staff in recent days with information about the virus and advice on preventing its spread.

Information for students and families

Classes and activities are continuing as scheduled. We do not anticipate the College needing to close before the end of the Short Term May 29. But should circumstances arise that necessitate an emergency closing, all students would need to leave campus within 24 hours of the announcement. Our concern is for the health and safety of the students, and our goal would be to get students home before there is widespread infection on campus. We therefore ask that students and families make a specific plan now for leaving campus. If the student is not able to get home on short notice, please identify relatives or friends with whom the student will stay. Should a closure become necessary, updates on re-opening will be provided on the College Web site and via e-mail.

Information for faculty and staff members

Faculty and staff who are experiencing flu symptoms or have a family member in their home with confirmed swine flu should stay home from work, contact their physician, and follow the CDC guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus. Staff members are asked to contact their immediate supervisor prior to the start of their workday to inform them of their absence, and should plan to use accrued sick time while absent.

Staff and faculty are also asked to e-mail the Human Resources Department at hrdept@bates.edu to inform the College of their exposure to the swine flu. If you do not have access to e-mail, you may leave a message with the Human Resources Department at 786-6140. All personal medical information will be kept in strict confidence following HIPAA guidelines. The information gathered will help inform the college about the level of flu incidences in our employee population.

The community should also monitor the news to stay informed. Public health officials are warning that the disease will continue to spread. Swine flu is thought to spread in the same manner as seasonal flu. Common precautions such as regular hand-washing and avoiding touching your nose, eyes, or mouth, should be practiced. The best sources of information come from the CDC and may be found at its Web site at www.cdc.gov. Students studying abroad should monitor public health announcements and visit the World Health Organization Web site at www.who.int.

Additional information

The recent cases of swine flu provide an opportunity to remind us all of the things we can do to prevent illness and 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 and wash your hands.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also are effective.
• Avoid spreading viruses by not touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

Students: What to do if you feel ill

If you feel ill with flu-like symptoms, students should call the Health Center at 207-786-6199. Do not go to class or work until you have been cleared to do so.

Treatment

• Treatment consists of rest, fluids, and antiviral medications.
• Care providers should assess and treat any additional complications caused by the flu.

After your return from an area that has reported cases of H1N1 (swine flu):

• Closely monitor your health for seven days.
• If you become ill with fever and other symptoms of swine flu like cough and sore throat and possibly vomiting and diarrhea during this period, call the Health Center or your primary care provider for an appointment right away. Your health care provider may test you for influenza and decide whether influenza antiviral treatment is indicated.
• When you make the appointment, tell your provider’s office the following: your symptoms, where you have traveled, and if you have had close contact with a person infected with H1N1 (swine flu).
• If you are ill, avoid going to classes or Commons until you have been medically evaluated.

Period of Contagion

• The duration of shedding (the period of contagion) with the swine flu virus is unknown. Therefore, until data are available, the estimated duration of the viral shedding is based upon seasonal influenza virus infection. Infected persons are assumed to be shedding virus and potentially infectious from the day prior to illness onset until resolution of fever. Infected persons should be assumed to be contagious up to seven days from illness onset. Some persons who are infected might potentially shed virus and be contagious for longer periods (e.g. immunosuppressed, and immunocompromised persons).

For more detailed information

• Please keep updated at the following CDC Web sites: Http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ and http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/swine-flu-2009.shtml