A flu for all seasons

As the semester's second week winds down and we deal with the usual concerns of starting classes, we also face the added worry: staying healthy. The global contagion of the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, makes this year’s flu season particularly troubling. The H1N1 virus first made headlines last semester as it quickly spread around the world, even causing the closure of several schools near Columbia. Now, as classes resume, the virus is once again causing concern, particularly at universities. In the first 10 days of class at Washington State University, 2,000 students contracted flu-like symptoms. More recently, a student at Cornell University died from swine flu-related complications, and another 520 students are reportedly showing flu-like symptoms.

At Columbia, the Pandemic Preparedness Working Group, a University-wide committee formed to prevent the spread of disease at Columbia, has been working to prevent a campus-wide outbreak. Over the summer, students, faculty, and families received e-mails with information on the virus and procedures to follow if infected. They were also offered contact information for a range of campus health resources. Those infected with the flu have been asked to remain in their rooms, get in touch with support services, and seek delivery of necessities from Housing and Dining until they recover. For the healthy, Columbia has made hand sanitizer available in common areas like dining halls, computer labs, and customer service desks.

The PPWG should sustain its efforts to maintain a healthy campus for the Columbia community and expand its response. Swiftly replenished soap dispensers in gyms and routine sanitization of common surfaces such as computer keyboard and doorknobs will work both to prevent transmission of H1N1 and to encourage students to take proactive measures to stay healthy. If students exhibit flu-like symptoms, they should stay in their rooms and refrain from attending class, and contact Health Services. Professors should do their part, too—not only should they accommodate absences due to illness, they should actively discourage students from attending class if they fall ill. Professors should be especially diligent about posting assignments and lectures on Courseworks, and scheduling makeup dates for exams and quizzes.

What’s most important, though, is that students themselves take steps to stay healthy. Preventing a pandemic requires the cooperation of all members of the community.