Novel H1N1 Influenza FAQs

Today's date:

Please note that the recommendations below may change as the situation changes, so please be sure to check for the most up-to-date information at:

1. On this website: LUC.edu/h1n1
2. Twitter at www.twitter.com/LoyolaWellness

Frequently Asked Questions:

• What should I do if I think I have the flu?

  Self-care recommendations:

  • Self isolate; stay home and rest until you have been fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication
  • Stay hydrated with plenty of clear liquids and be sure to eat well
  • Monitor your temperature using a thermometer
  • Treat symptoms with acetaminophen/Tylenol or Ibuprofen (not aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines), throat lozenges, and decongestants. Follow the directions on the packages; and also continue to take your usual prescription medications. Follow all local public health advisories and any relevant health recommendations.
  • If exposure to others is necessary, wear a surgical mask to prevent the spread of the illness
  • Call the Dean of Students' Flu Reporting Voicemail Box at 773.508.2300, and leave your name, your Loyola ID number, and the date; this phone line is only to report that you have the flu, and it will not be regularly monitored
  • Call a healthcare provider or seek immediate care if you:
    • Have particular health risks, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, etc; visit www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm for more information
    • Are pregnant or care for small children
    • Think your symptoms are getting worse
      
      

      Treatment with antiviral medication is usually recommended only for those at high risk of severe complications, and those with serious underlying conditions

    • You can also call "Dial a Nurse" at 773.508.8883 or your healthcare provider if you need advice, but remember that most flu cases in otherwise healthy patients can be managed without the help of a healthcare provider
• Why is self isolation recommended, and what does it mean?

  Students spend much of their time in close quarters with each other, whether it's in the residence halls, classrooms, or a social/extracurricular event. This closeness can present a challenge when you are ill, or when you are dealing with someone who is ill, so it is very important to self isolate.

• How do I self isolate?

  Just like most universities, Loyola has very little unoccupied housing on campus and does not have an in-patient infirmary for ill patients. Because we are located in a major metropolitan area, the Wellness Center can count on local hospitals when students need supervised 24-hour medical care. We continue to work with the Chicago Department of Public Health, using guidelines from the American College Health Association, and take a cue from the CDC, which has identified several options for self isolation that make sense for our campus situation and our students.

  When you self isolate, you are giving yourself time to recover and you are helping reduce the spread of the flu. Current guidelines recommend self isolating until you are fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication.

  Self isolation means:

  • No class
  • No work
  • No practices
  • No games or other events
  • No socializing
  • Staying in your room, except to use a bathroom and to get food (if it cannot be delivered to you); if contact with others is unavoidable, you must wear a surgical mask and wash your hands frequently

  Ill students:

  The best option for students who are ill is to go home or stay with nearby friends or family, if at all possible.

  • Stay there, and in your room, until you are fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication
  • Use private transportation to get there
  • Let your RD know that you are leaving and where you will be staying
  • E-mail your professors and let them know you are ill
  • Call the Dean of Students' Flu Reporting Voicemail Box at 773.508.2300, and leave your name, your Loyola ID number, and the date; this phone line is only to report that you have the flu, and it will not be regularly monitored

  If you must stay on campus:

  • Contact your RD to arrange for self isolation and to arrange to have your meals delivered to you
    • Ill students will be asked to self isolate and stay in empty rooms designated for this purpose. In the event that the number of ill students on campus is greater than the number of rooms available, you may be asked to self isolate and stay in your own room. This is also one of the strategies recommended by the American College Health Association in its guidance on campus response to novel H1N1 influenza.
  • Follow self-care recommendations; most students recover without medical intervention by taking these simple steps:
    • E-mail your professors and let them know you are ill
    • Call the Dean of Students' Flu Reporting Voicemail Box at 773.508.2300, and leave your name, your Loyola ID number, and the date; this phone line is only to report that you have the flu, and it will not be regularly monitored
• My roommate is ill. What do I do?

  Students who are ill are asked to self isolate and stay in empty rooms designated for this purpose. In the event that the number of ill students on campus is greater than the number of rooms available, your ill roommate may be asked to self isolate and stay in their room.

  There are several options for roommates of ill students who cannot be moved to other rooms:

  • Consider moving in with healthy friends or living at home if it's nearby (especially if you may be more likely to experience complications related to the flu), until your roommate has not had a fever for at least 24 hours without taking fever reducing medication
  • You can check with your RD to see if there is any available space on campus
  • Another option is to get a hotel room, which may or may not reduce a person's risk of exposure to flu; please note that such arrangements are at the discretion and expense of the student, and will not be centrally-managed.
  • You can stay in your room with your ill roommate; the recommendations for taking care of a roommate are the same as taking care of someone who is ill in your home (please see Interim Guidance for H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home)

  Staying in the same room

  When roommates choose to stay in the same room:

  • Both students must follow recommended hygiene practices
  • Both need to maintain at least a six-foot distance from one another
  • Ill students are asked to wear a surgical mask whenever close contact is unavoidable, and in common restrooms; facemasks will be provided by the Wellness Center, Residence Life staff, or can be purchased at the local drugstore
  • Shared surfaces should be cleaned with a common household disinfectant cleaner
  • Paper towels or individual cloth towels should be used
  • Food and utensils should not be shared
  • The well student should monitor their own health and watch for flu symptoms; if you have a high risk for complications from the flu, call your healthcare provider

  It's important that both roommates understand hygiene practices because staying healthy requires everyone's participation to help decrease the risk of infection. Most people have no more risk from a roommate they know is sick, than they do from a classmate, teammate, friend, or even a stranger that they don't know is sick, if both roommates are careful and take proper precautions.

• Will I be excused from class if I'm sick?

  The provost and deans at Loyola have asked all University faculty to be flexible in dealing with students who have H1N1.

  • Ill students should notify their instructors as soon as possible explaining the reason for their absence, and also call the Dean of Students' Flu Reporting Voicemail Box at 773.508.2300, and leave your name, your Loyola ID number, and the date; this phone line is only to report that you have the flu, and it will not be regularly monitored
  • Documentation of presumed H1N1 illness is not necessary. As you know, the CDC is recommending that those with flu symptoms stay home (away from classes), self-isolate, and wait to return until they are fever free without the use of fever-reducing medications for 24 hours
  • Ill students should not be penalized for missing classes or academic assignments, although such assignments (e.g., tests and papers) will need to be made up per agreements with individual professors
• How do I know if I have H1N1 or seasonal flu?

  Symptoms of H1N1 and the regular seasonal flu are similar, and include sudden onset of fever, sore throat, cough, and body aches. Because testing is not currently recommended for most people, you may end up not knowing which type of flu you have. Healthcare providers will assume that the flu in the early fall is H1N1, and that you may have seasonal flu if it occurs later in the year because seasonal flu usually occurs in the late fall until spring.

• What can I do to prevent getting H1N1 and the seasonal flu?

  Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu is transmitted through respiratory secretions (for example, coughing or sneezing). The best way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated each year. You can also reduce your risk of infection by washing your hands often. Use soap and warm water and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve when you cough or sneeze, and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. You can boost your immune system by getting enough sleep, eating healthy, exercising, and managing stress. The Wellness Center offers a variety of services to help students stay well. Keep your distance from others when you, or they, are sick. Stay home from work, class, and other activities to help prevent spreading your illness to others.

• Will I be able to get the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) vaccine?

  The Wellness Center will continue to offer H1N1 vaccines to students as the vaccine arrives. Students will be notified of the vaccine clinics via special broadcast e-mails.

• Will Loyola cancel classes?

  The current guidelines for universities expressly states that universities are to stay open. Things may change should a major outbreak occur, but those decisions will be made together with the health department. Stay ahead of your studies and assignments, and don't miss class unnecessarily, because then if you become ill, you won't fall as far behind.

• Who's at risk for H1N1?

  Although anyone can get the H1N1 flu, it seems that young people are more easily infected. Pregnant women, those with young children, or those who provide care to young children, are considered to be at greatest risk, as are individuals with chronic medical conditions such as asthma.

• I heard that another school is doing something different or the CDC recommends something else?

  Recommendations are made by the CDC and are interpreted or enforced by the local public health departments because each situation is different. You might not see the same action in another state, K-12 grade, or even in a suburb. Loyola is under the jurisdiction of the Chicago Department of Public Health.

• How will the school know there's a change in the recommendations?

  We are in constant communication with the CDC and Chicago Department of Public Health. E-mails are received whenever there is a change or update.

• Should I get the regular flu shot?

  Yes. Getting the regular flu shot will help your provider know which flu you have in the event you get sick. It will also minimize your chance of having two types of flu at once. You will also help stop the spread of the regular flu in our community.

• I am the parent of a Loyola student. What can I do?

  As a concerned parent, you are a very important partner in our efforts to keep our students healthy. You should also know that the University has been preparing for years for a possible pandemic.

  Here's how you can help:

  • Reinforce the simple things you've been saying all along: Wash your hands! Cover your cough! Get enough rest! Eat well!
  • Your son or daughter is much more likely to remain healthy if they frequently wash their hands. They should also carry an alcohol-based hand disinfectant.
  • Encourage your child to get a seasonal and H1N1 flu shot. The Wellness Center has been offering flu shots this semester, but shipments of the vaccine have been limited. If your child has been unable to get a seasonal and/or H1N1 flu vaccine, help them obtain one when they are at home for breaks.
  • Check with your health care provider to make sure your student is up-to-date on his/her immunizations. Students with underlying conditions may need additional vaccines that are not given routinely to all children. Some examples of underlying conditions are asthma, cardiovascular disease, etc.
  • Students who are sick with the flu should go home and stay there until 24 hours after their fever has resolved without using a fever-reducing medication. More information on caring for someone sick in your home is available at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm.
  • Encourage your student to keep up with, and even stay ahead of, their studies and assignments. If they become ill, they won't fall as far behind.
  • Talk to your student about what to do if they get sick. They should plan to spend as much as a week out of class if they are sick with the flu. Your student should have a weeks worth of flu supplies on-hand so they are ready in case they need it. The kit should include medicine to reduce a fever, a thermometer, disposable tissues, and a hand disinfectant. You can also include some nourishing liquids.
  • If your child becomes sick with the flu and must remain on campus, they will need to stay in their room until their fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medication. A friend should be identified who can look in on them several times a day. Both people should use facemasks.
  • If your student becomes ill while at home, they should NOT return to school until 24 hours after they have been fever free without the use of a fever-reducing medication. Ask your student to call the Dean of Students' Flu Reporting Voicemail Box at 773.508.2300, and leave their name, their Loyola ID number, and the date; this phone line is only to report that they have the flu, and it will not be regularly monitored.

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