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Written by: Dan Merica
Bentley University, in preparation for a possible outbreak of H1NI, also known as swine flu, has taken proactive steps to alleviate the possible contraction of the infamous virus by students.
According to an e-mail sent by the assistant dean for Health and Wellness, Geraldine Taylor, Bentley has “provided additional hand sanitizer stations on campus, ensured that soap and paper towel dispensers are full and instituted more frequent cleaning schedules with antiviral/antibacterial disinfectants.”
Upon arrival to the residence halls, students were given “welcome bags” put together by the resident assistants, which included disposable thermometers, hand sanitizer, flu care shopping lists, a “Flu – What You Can Do” booklet and a list of emergency medical resources.
According to the e-mail from Taylor, “If you are sick with influenza-like illness with symptoms including fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Centigrade) or higher and cough, or sore throat; and possibly headaches, body aches, chills, runny nose, fatigue, vomiting or diarrhea, please consult your health care provider and stay at home.”
Colleges and universities around the United States have been the worst affected areas for H1N1.
A Cornell University junior died last Friday due to the virus, with Cornell experiencing over 600 hundred possible H1N1cases. At University of Kansas, in just three days of class, nearly 50 people contracted swine flu, with no deaths yet reported. University of Virginia, University of Alabama and University of Maryland has reported 70, 10 and 435 cases, respectively.
Overall, since mid-April of this year, 522 Americans have died because of the virus, the majority of which were children and the elderly, who are most susceptible to the flu. Vaccines have been slow to get out; however, the Food and Drug Administration approved 4 different H1N1 vaccines this week.
The Center for Health and Wellness has scheduled six seasonal vaccination clinics beginning in September and planned H1N1 influenza vaccine clinics. The H1N1 vaccine is expected to be available in October free of charge, as the federal government has purchased massive supplies of all four vaccines available.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) in August released some tips for the dormitory lifestyle Bentley students typically experience. The main piece of advice is for students to avoid any contact with infected individuals until 24 hours after the flu like symptoms subside. According to the study, “students with a private dorm room should stay in their rooms and find a “flu buddy” to deliver meals and notes from class.”
Other colleges are taking more drastic steps. Colleges like Johns Hopkins and Emory have set aside certain dorm on campus where students infected with the virus will be “asked to go recover” during their illness. According to Emory, “The dorm is not considered a quarantine area because students exposed to the virus are not forced to stay there,” but a recent front page article in the New York Times noted that the Emory & Hopkins students indeed feel quarantined nonetheless.
At Bentley, most students reported being instructed on the first day of class on Bentley’s policy for H1N1 cases. From e-mailing the professor, to getting someone to take notes, to arrangements for taking exams in the residence hall, most ideas were broached, including the absurd.
Lindsay Graham, a senior at Bentley, stated “my professor has already decided that in case of swine flu, we have to create an avatar in Second Life, and attend class in the virtual world.”
According to Taylor, “If you are told you have the flu – please make arrangements to go home for care and isolation. You should put on a mask to prevent anyone else from getting sick while you are in the process of going home.”
The Center for Health and Wellness has dedicated itself to working with all offices on campus to keep accurate statistics on the impact of the illness on the Bentley community. For up-to-the-date information, go to the Center for Health and Wellness website.
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