Swine flu spreads to University
By Sarah Wooten | August 22, 2009The University and the University Medical Center have seen multiple cases of the H1N1 influenza virus - popularly known as swine flu - since May. The virus originally broke out among campers at University's summer enrichment program at the Education School, as well as during University programs for entering students, University spokesperson Carol Wood said. While it is "impossible to know how many campers contracted the flu ... our feeling was that it was minimal," Wood said. When children became infected with what is believed to be the swine flu during the end of the first session of summer enrichment camp, the sick campers were sent home and letters were sent to parents about the small outbreak, Wood said. When the next session began, Wood said the head of the camp met with all of the parents dropping off their children and reviewed protocols about what to do if their campers were not feeling well. In spite of the precautions, Woods said that she "did not think parents were surprised" by the swine flu occurrences, noting that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently downgraded the swine flu to a "seasonal flu." "I think they were glad to be communicated with in a timely basis," Wood said. The counselors also helped by making sure campers washed their hands and reported any flu-like symptoms, she said. She added that all the campers who experienced flu-like symptoms returned home and recovered. Other cases of swine flu affecting the University community during the summer included 12 University Health System employees who tested positive for H1N1, hospital spokesperson Sally Jones said. "With the exception of one case of transmission from one employee to another, all [hospital workers] contracted the virus out in the community," Jones said. The hospital required employees with the confirmed virus to stay home for seven days from the onset of symptoms.
