Kimberly Goff-Crews and Nimalan Chinniah: Swine flu developments
8:30 pm, April 29, 2009
To: Faculty, Students and Staff
From: Kimberly Goff-Crews, Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students in the University; Nimalan Chinniah, Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer
Subject: Swine flu developments
This afternoon, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Chicago Department of Public Health announced that there are nine probable cases of swine flu in Illinois, five of them in Chicago.
Two of the probable cases are employees of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Both are at home and recovering well. During the time they were contagious, they had no patient contact and limited contact with hospital staff. The Medical Center’s Infection Control team has identified and is working with a group of co-workers who were in contact.
Screening is also underway for other members of our community who have flu symptoms. Some of those tested proved to have influenza B, a normal seasonal strain unrelated to swine flu. Still, as identification of new cases spreads quickly across the nation, we recognize that other cases could arise here.
The presence of swine flu in our community calls for a new level of response on our part. Additional steps and guidelines are detailed below, and we continue to plan for a wide variety of possibilities. We have the benefit of excellent medical advice on site and a strong foundation of planning for extraordinary events; we continue to coordinate our efforts with local and state public health authorities.
It is important to keep in mind that the severity of swine flu in the United States at this point is similar to the severity of seasonal flu strains. Although a death was reported in Texas, most of the documented cases in the U.S. are considered mild, and some required no treatment at all. So even as we move quickly to reduce the spread of the flu and prepare for any accommodations that might be necessary, we do not want our proactive approach to be mistaken for undue alarm.
Because the situation and our response are moving quickly, the most complete source for updates is the University’s web site, at http://news.uchicago.edu/btn/swineflu.php. But we want to share with you a few developments since our last message on Monday:
- Beginning this afternoon, all swine flu screening for University of Chicago students, faculty, staff and Medical Center employees moved to the Student Care Center, in R-100 of the Lying-In Hospital. Screening will continue from 7am to 5 pm Thursday and Friday. If you are experiencing minor symptoms at home, please stay home, get rest and drink plenty of fluids. If your symptoms are moderate or severe, please seek care from your primary physician. For people already on campus: If you are faculty or staff of the University, and your primary care comes from the Primary Care Group; OR you are a student at the University of Chicago; OR you are a Medical Center employee, you may come to the screening center at SCC for a brief evaluation and testing.
- Students must make their health their top priority. If you have symptoms, need screening or need treatment, do not delay or defer action in order to meet academic or work obligations. The office of the Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students for the University will work with academic units to ensure that accommodations are made for students with the flu or in need of screening. As always, you should contact the dean of students in your academic unit if you are ill and need assistance with academic matters.
- Staying “at home,” the best way of slowing flu transmission, is not helpful advice for students who live in the group setting of a residence hall. Therefore, we are planning to temporarily relocate any students who might be diagnosed with swine flu, or who have tests pending for swine flu, to University housing that is separated from other residents.
- If you are planning domestic or international travel, we encourage you to check on the latest advice from the Centers for Disease Control, which posts regular updates at wwwn.cdc.gov/travel. Also be mindful of the travel guidelines issued by the location to which you are traveling. All members of the campus community are encouraged to exercise caution when making decisions about travel.
Finally, let us offer one more reminder that the best way to fight swine flu and any flu is through common sense measures. Stay at home if you are sick. Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth with a tissue or a sleeve if you cough or sneeze. Monitor your own health and heed the recommendations available on our website and those of public health agencies.
We will continue to take every appropriate measure to minimize the effects of swine flu on the community and the important work of the University and Medical Center. At the same time, we want to say that we are proud of the way our entire community has responded to these developments so far. We appreciate your help.