The Swine Flu appears to be running its course as more reports from the CDC indicate that the cases of Swine Flu being reported are more mild in nature than first thought. APPA will continue to monitor this situation and we will submit additional information as we approach the upcoming influenza season.

If you have questions, comments, or additional posts you would like APPA to place on this page, please contact John Bernhards at john@appa.org

Inside Higher ED:

A summer of anticipation and worst-case-scenario planning has given way to a new academic year of inevitable illness as the H1N1 flu virus appears at colleges and universities across the nation. View full article, H1N1 Creeps Onto Campuses, September 2, 2009

Helpful quick links:

• Help students diagnose themselves with the virus
• Figure out how to deal with being sick while living in on-campus housing
• 266 students reporting flu-like symptoms
• John Tyler’s focus is on reminding students to wash their hands
• Ideas on how to contain and cope with H1N1
• Safety precautions at colleges and universities since May
  

Updated Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education from www.flu.gov:

• CDC Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education
• Communication Toolkit for Institutions of Higher Education
• Read the New K-12 Guidance and Information

U.S. No Longer Advising Swine Flu School Closures (posted Thursday, May 7, 2009)

U.S. health officials are no longer recommending that schools close because of swine flu. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Tuesday that the swine flu virus had turned out to be milder than initially feared.
See http://www.npr.org

Update on School (K – 12) and Childcare Facilities: Interim CDC Guidance in Response to Human Infections with the Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus (posted Thursday, May 7, 2009)

What to Do If You Get Flu-Like Symptoms (posted Thursday, May 7, 2009)

The novel H1N1 flu virus is causing illness in infected persons in the United States and countries around the world. CDC expects that illnesses may continue for some time. As a result, you or people around you may become ill. If so, you need to recognize the symptoms and know what to do.See http://www.cdc.gov

Swine Flu Impact (posted Thursday, May 7, 2009)

The impact of the swine flu outbreak continues to grow on American colleges campuses -- even as the confirmed cases appear small in number and relatively mild.
See http://www.insidehighered.com

Read the award-winning article, Pandemic Preparation: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst, from the November/December 2007 issue of Facilities Manager. Written by Kate Van Sant & Patricia Stewart, the article won APPA’s 2008 Rex Dillow Award for Outstanding Article and provides invaluable guidance and information to prepare for a pandemic.
Read more..Pandemic Preparation: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst

Texas Wesleyan University Cancels Remaining Spring Semester Classes
(posted Friday May 1, 2009)

Texas Welseyan University announced it is cancelling remaining Spring classes through May 5, 2009. The university is telling students to contact their instructors for updates on completing assignments in progress or for alternative assignments.
See http://www.txwesleyan.edu

US Dept. of Education Posts FAQs factsheet on Swine Flu for Higher Ed, K-12s
(posted Thursday, April 30, 2009)

The US Department of Education released late yesterday a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) factsheet that offers guidance on what education administrators need to do now to properly prepare for a swine flu outbreak in and around their campus communities. The factsheet contains web links to state pandemic influenza plans and other useful resources.
See http://www.ed.gov

Center for Disease Control and Prevention --- Swine Flu Questions and Answers
(posted Thursday, April 30, 2009)

The Center for Disease Control maintains a question and answer page on its web site to address common questions relating to swine flu transmission; steps individuals should take to prevent contact; a list of swine flu symptoms; and additional information that many universities and college campuses are in turn sharing with their students, staff and faculty.
See http://www.cdc.gov

AEM “Google Maps” Swine Flu Cases Among U.S. Universities and Colleges
(posted Thursday, April 30, 2009)

The International Association of Emergency Managers (www.iaem.org) has established a “Higher Education H1N1 Map” to identify U.S. universities and colleges where confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported on campus.
See Higher Education H1N1 Map

Swine Flu Hits Several Campuses
(posted Thursday, April 30, 2009)

Inside Higher Ed reported today that ten students at the University of Delaware have been diagnosed with "probable" cases of swine flu, to date the most significant outbreak on a college campus in the United States. At least three other campuses may also have cases: the University of Notre Dame has a confirmed case of a student who had swine flu and who has recovered. San Diego State University has a suspected case and California State University at Long Beach.
See http://www.insidehighered.com