H1N1 down, not yet out

With initial cases of swine flu appearing a day or two before classes started, H1N1 moved in among the students and looked as though it was going to stay.

As the semester went on, cases of the virus appeared to have dropped and the college community began to wonder if the worst was over or yet to come.

“Yes, campus is currently experiencing a drop in number of cases, but I expect numbers to increase again,” Director of Student Health Services JoEllen Anderson said. “The virus will follow the same course as a typical influenza strain which includes a drop and then increase in spread.”

Though confirmed cases of swine flu may be on the decline at Luther, cases have become increasingly hard to identify as the virus begins to encroach upon the typical influenza season. The only distinguishing characteristic of this strain compared to the twenty four hour flu bug is that the swine flu lasts for about five days.

“If a student begins to experience flu-like symptoms they should go to the Health Services website and fill out the Luther College Influenza-Like Illness Notification Form,” recommends Anderson. “[The form] notifies any faculty or staff, that you may have classes or work with, of your illness and reason for missing class or work.”

As for recovering from the virus itself, Anderson recommends taking the same precautions one would for dealing with seasonal influenza and following the “three C’s”: clean, cover and contain.

“Clean your hands frequently,” “Cover your cough and sneezes with a tissue or your sleeve,” and “Contain germs by staying home when ill.”

David Nienhaus, a Paramedic at the Winneshiek Medical Center, agreed.
“Following the three C’s is probably the best way to stay healthy and is what the Iowa Department of Public Health suggests for personal hygienic practices,” Nienhaus said. “A good reason for the number confirmed cases of swine flu being down is probably due to people staying home when they experience symptoms and therefore ‘contain’ the virus and keep it from spreading.”

The swine flu outbreak coupled with the advent of regular flu season poses a significant risk, according to health officials, who encourage everyone to practice the three C’s to stay healthy.