 LCU is involved with various county agencies that are watching the
latest developments and responding in the health care, education and
local government sectors of our community. The LCU plan represents
collaboration with these sources and may differ from the response of
other local agencies in some ways.Phase one: education and
prevention
LCU has reviewed existing pandemic flu protocols from the LCU
Emergency Management Manual with key campus personnel. Ongoing
communications via posters in bathrooms, e-mails, announcements and
residence hall staff convey the message to clean hands by
frequent, thorough washing; cover coughs with your arm or a
tissue; and contain your germs by staying home if you have
flu-like symptoms. LCU has purchased and positioned hand sanitizing
stations in multiple places around campus and ordered and assembled
basic "flu kits" to support students as they manage their symptoms.
Faculty, staff and students are being encouraged to get flu shots as
they are available. Students are requested to notify administrators
when they begin noticing flu-like symptoms.
Severe illness and deaths have been reported with 2009 H1N1 flu
infections in some people. LCU strongly encourages all faculty,
staff and students to become aware of symptoms, to monitor and
manage their health, and to respond immediately if they suspect they
have any form of the flu. They should contact a medical professional
or LCU Student Services at first sign of a possible infection.
Phase two: intervention phase
As recommended by the CDC and other local health agencies, LCU
will not test students to confirm a positive H1N1 infection or to
distinguish between seasonal flu and H1N1 infection. The results
from these tests are not immediately helpful or available.
According to the CDC, most people in the general population
will recover from the H1N1 flu strain in two to three days without
treatment, as long as they stay hydrated and get plenty of rest.
LCU will strongly recommend testing for students who are
"at-risk" as defined by the CDC and other local health agencies
(pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions like
asthma, heart disease, diabetes, etc.).
As students begin to show flu-like symptoms, LCU will distance
them from the general student population immediately in an available
dorm. Symptoms include fever of 100-plus degrees, chills, cough or
sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea
or vomiting, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or
pressure in the abdomen, sudden dizziness, and confusion.
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LCU will ask students with flu-like symptoms to contact their
parents immediately to arrange for travel home within 24 hours of
university notification. Arrangements will be made for extended
distancing of students who live more than a three-hour drive from
campus. Food service will supply distanced students with meals in
their quarters, and residence life and health services staff will
monitor the health of distanced students. Students or employees who
have symptoms of flu-like sickness should not return to campus or a
normal schedule until they have been fever-free for at least 24
hours.
Phase three: suspension of operations
If an infection becomes widespread on campus, interfering with
normal, safe operations, or if the federal, state or local
authorities recommend it, the campus may be closed temporarily as
stated in the LCU Emergency Management Manual. LCU will notify the
public, students and affected families via our Web site, e-mail and
other available communication means should this become necessary.
[Text from file received from
Lincoln Christian University]
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