Skidmore watches and prepares for H1N1 developments

Skidmore College's Emergency Management Team (EMT) continues to work closely with the Saratoga County and New York State health departments to monitor Novel H1N1 (swine) influenza conditions and to respond to concerns surrounding the flu this year.

"Based on guidance from health department officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the College will continue to evaluate new information and make decisions that we believe best support the health and safety of our campus community," said W. Rochelle Calhoun, dean of student affairs and chair of the EMT. We will update this site as new information becomes available.

Currently Skidmore is operating as usual. Any flu, of course, can be spread easily from person to person. To help minimize the spread of flu on campus, we ask your help in doing the following:

? Practice good hand hygieneby washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective.

? Practice respiratory etiquetteby covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; germs are spread this way.

? Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. Look for possible signs of fever: if the person feels very warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering.

? Stay home if you have flu or flu-like illness for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever(100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Don't go to class or work. Notify the appropriate individual(s) if you will be absent.

? Talk with your health-care providers about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu.Also, if you are at higher risk for flu complications from Novel H1N1 Flu, you should consider getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. People at higher risk for 2009 Novel H1N1 flu complications include pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes), and young adults 19 through 24 years of age. For more information about priority groups for vaccination, click here.

Skidmore's Office of Health Services will again this year offer vaccination clinics for the seasonal flu and will alert the campus community about clinic scheduling as soon as the seasonal flu vaccine is available. In addition, the College also will offer vaccination clinics for Novel H1N1 flu as soon as that vaccine is available. It is possible that individuals who wish to obtain the maximum protection against both seasonal and H1N1 flu will obtain a total of three vaccinations this year. Health Services will provide details about availability of both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccine via email and web announcements as soon as that information is released by the federal, state, and county public health officials.

If this year's flu season becomes more severe, the College will determine whether further steps are necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. Possible actions that may be taken include the following:

?Allow students, faculty, and staff at higher risk for complications to stay home. Such decisions would be made by students, faculty, and staff in consultation with their health-care provider and appropriate College officials.

?Implementation of "social distancing measures"(i.e., measures to minimize the space between people). Such measures could be implemented in classrooms (e.g., moving desks farther apart, leaving empty seats between students, holding outdoor classes, using distance-learning methods, etc); they also could include cancellation or re-scheduling of public events (e.g., lectures, athletic events, etc.), use of telephone, e-mail, or videoconferencing to conduct business, etc.

?Extend the time that sick students, faculty, or staff stay home or in their residence. During severe flu conditions, sick people should stay home for at least seven days, even if they feel better sooner. Those who are still sick after seven days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have gone away. Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting.

Skidmore College employees are encouraged to contact their supervisors if they believe it is necessary to stay home due to their own or a family member's illness. For more information on employee sick and leave time, please click here.

? Suspend classes.This decision would be made by the College following consultation with local and state public-health officials. The length of a class suspension would depend on a variety of factors including the severity and extent of illness and the overall best interests of the College community.

Skidmore students who are studying off campus should follow health recommendations presented by their program providers and local authorities regarding H1N1 developments. Please visit Skidmore's Off-Campus Study and Exchange web site and the CDC's travel site for health information updates for students studying off campus.

For the most up-to-date guidance from federal health officials on the flu, clickhereor call 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636).

We will notify you by email, the Skidmore web site, and Facebook about any additional changes to our institution's strategy to prevent the spread of flu on our campus.