WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FLU
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How can I tell if I have the flu?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines flu-like illness this way:

• A fever of 100.4 F or greater, plus a cough or sore throat.
• Possible other symptoms include a runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, vomiting or diarrhea.

How will I know if I have H1N1 flu?

You may not know, for sure, but if you have the symptoms listed above, you can be fairly confident you have influenza. State health officials have determined that it’s no longer necessary to test specifically for this novel strain of Influenza A in otherwise healthy individuals. Only those who are at high risk for complications will be tested for H1N1.

What are some things I can do to keep from getting the flu?

• Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds using soap and water or hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your nose and eyes directly.
• Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve - not your hand.
• Use tissues and dispose of them properly.

Will Howard University offer H1N1 vaccinations to students?

At this time, we are unsure whether or not the vaccine will be made available to us. The earliest date of delivery of the vaccine is expected to be mid to late October. The Student Health Center has ordered the vaccine, but supplies will be limited initially. If we do get the vaccine, we plan to offer it initially to all students that are at “high-risk” for complications from influenza. Therefore it is important that you know if you are in this risk category.

What about faculty and staff?

Plans announced by the CDC call for making the H1N1 vaccine free to everyone through the network of state and county health departments. What role Howard University might play in helping to distribute the vaccine to faculty and staff or the general public is still to be determined. The University encourages every faculty and staff member to obtain a seasonal influenza vaccination. We will make information available regarding the availability of vaccines on campus for faculty and staff via a “Flu Shot Clinic” if we are able to secure a nominal amount of vaccine and can make them available at cost.

Should students also get a seasonal flu vaccination?

Yes. While college students are not among those at high risk for the seasonal flu, the University always encourages students to get this vaccine. It will be offered on campus this fall and will entail a customary $10 fee. Details will be announced soon by the Student Health Center.

What about faculty and staff?

In the past, some units on campus have set up times when employees have the opportunity to get a seasonal flu vaccine if they choose. It’s too soon to say exactly what those plans are for this year. Check with your supervisor or Employee Health for information specific to your unit. It is anticipated that there will be an ample supply of the seasonal flu vaccine and it will be offered in many places earlier this year. You may want to check with your primary care physician about getting a flu shot.

What will happen if a student on campus gets sick with the flu?

At Howard University, we will be following the recommendations of the CDC for college students:

• Isolation until 24 hours after the ill student is free of fever (100 degrees F) without the use of fever-lowering medications. In most cases this will mean three-five days. This new recommendation is a reduction from the previous seven-day isolation period. Isolation helps to prevent the spread of the flu and rest may help students recover more easily.
• Students who are able may wish to go home or to the home of a friend in the area for the isolation period. For those who are not, we will ask students to self-isolate themselves in their residence hall rooms or apartments until they are free of fever. It’s important to note that Howard University will have very limited housing spaces that might be used to separate well students from ill students.
• Treatment of ill individuals with the prescription drug Tamiflu is recommended by the CDC only if there is an underlying health condition (severe asthma, diabetes, HIV disease, immune deficiency) or the individual is considered high risk (pregnant, over age 65). The Student Health Center physicians will not prescribe Tamiflu for students who do not meet CDC guidelines.

If a student is isolated in a residence hall room, how will the student be able to eat?

The University will make arrangements to deliver food to their rooms. Residence hall staff will be checking on students regularly and transportation via HU Campus Police Department will be arranged to transfer the ill student to the Student Health Center or to HUH if they need to see a physician. Students who live off campus will be supported by the staff at Student Health Center, but will need to make their own arrangements for food. If they are unable to do so, they should contact the Office of the Dean for Residence Life.

What should students do if they get sick with the flu and have to miss classes?

Should students become ill during the academic year and need to miss classes for several days, they should contact their instructors directly to seek possible accommodations for missed coursework and notify their academic advisers. If this is not possible, they may contact the Office of the Dean for Special Student Services.

Will classes or other activities be canceled if enough students get sick?

Because we expect the severity of the H1N1 strain of flu to be similar to that of seasonal flu, we also expect the University will continue with classes and other scheduled activities. The Senior Vice President for Health Sciences in conjunction with the Student Health Center and HUH will continue to collaborate with local, state and federal health officials and be prepared to follow any new recommendations.

Will the Student Health Service provide students with a medical excuse from classes for those who are sick with the flu?

No. Most individuals who get sick will not need to see a physician. Instead, we’ve asked faculty members to be understanding of students who are sick with the flu and may miss class. Many instructors also are making more of their class materials available online through the use of Blackboard so students who have to miss a class can keep up with assignments.

Should I be concerned about using keyboards in common computing areas?

Keyboards certainly are one way the flu can be transmitted from one person to another. Use a hand sanitizer before and after using a share keyboard and keep your hands away from your nose and mouth. You may also carry disinfectant wipes with you to wipe off contact surfaces that you may use.

Should I be concerned about handling term papers from students who may have the flu?

No. There are two courses of action you could take. First is to wash your hands thoroughly before and after handling the papers or using plastic gloves while handling the papers. The second approach would be to let the papers sit for 24 hours before handling them. The good thing about the H1N1 virus is that it dies very quickly on surfaces like term papers, counters or door handles. Even if one of your students was ill with H1N1 influenza and sneezed on his term paper before it was submitted, that virus would not survive more than 24 hours. The seasonal flu virus has an even shorter lifespan.

What about masks?

Outside of health care settings, Howard University recommends the use of surgical masks only for those who are sick with the flu, if they must go out in the public. Masks help to stop the spread of the flu virus by containing any sneezes or droplets that might spread the virus. We are discouraging the widespread use of masks by healthy persons as a possible preventive measure while on campus.

Will hand sanitizer be more widely available on campus?

Yes. You can expect to see hand sanitizer dispensers in the common areas of campus buildings and facilities this fall. It’s also not a bad idea for students to carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer in their backpacks as they move from class to class throughout the day.