ASU Guarding Against H1N1 Virus
With the beginning of the fall semester, Angelo State University is taking steps to prevent the spread of flu on campus.
The university is following guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and the Texas Department of State Health Services, and is working closely with the Tom Green County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions concerning the campus community. The latest information pertaining to ASU can be found online at angelo.edu/news/H1N1Influenza.html.
The following are a few things members of the ASU community can do to help:
- Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Practice respiratory etiquette by 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. 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.
- 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 2009 H1N1 flu, you should consider getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available.
People at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 flu complications include pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease or diabetes).
For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
