E&H braces for Swine Flu

Emory & Henry College is concerned, yet not panicking, over the recent outbreak of the H1N1, or swine flu, virus. “We have three, possibly four, students of concern at this point,” says Director of Public Relations, Dirk Moore. “One of the cases is not yet confirmed, but the student’s blood testing suggests the presence of a type A flu virus, which is the category under which H1N1 falls.”

Moore also mentioned that the swine flu is being handled so seriously because of its trendiness in young adults, including college students.

There are no specific procedures that the College could carry out to immediately eliminate the virus on campus, but Moore explains that the department is treating every reported illness as if it was H1N1, because the usual flu viruses have not surfaced yet this season, so it is likely that a current case of the flu is H1N1. The department would also rather be excessively over-prepared than not be well prepared enough, according to Moore.

“We are concerned,” Moore explains, “but we do not want to panic. You can never tell how threatening each individual case can be. Some recuperate in days, some take weeks. People with pre-existing conditions, such as AIDS or diabetes, tend to struggle more with recovery.”

The new flu vaccinations are expected to become available in late September or early October, according to Moore. He says that the swine flu inoculation will be free, whereas the standard vaccination will cost around $12.

Until then, however, the Public Relations Department at Emory & Henry suggests that everyone on campus should take very careful sanitary measures to insure that the virus is not spread anymore than it has to be. Such measures include monitoring yourself and those around you, sneezing into your elbow or sleeve, and frequently washing your hands with soap and water.

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