Area colleges take precautions against H1N1

Students who come down with swine flu at Liberty University have the option of recuperating in a room at the cushiest student dormitory on campus: the Lynchburg Inn, a former hotel turned dormitory to alleviate the school’s housing crunch.

The university has designated 20 “med rooms,” where sick students can self-isolate, said director of housing Beatriz Saunders. Since school began, 12 students have occupied the med rooms, including three who are staying there now.

Lynchburg-area colleges are taking measures to prevent and contain the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, which can spread rapidly in dormitories, eating halls and other communal spaces. Three of the area’s four residential colleges have reported cases of the virus since school began, including Liberty, Lynchburg College and Sweet Briar College.

Unlike the seasonal flu, which tends to have the greatest impact on senior citizens, the H1N1 virus places people 24 and under among those most at risk for complications. In most cases, the flu is little more than a nuisance, but for students with chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes, the complications can be severe.

On campus, the concern with swine flu is its “potential for rapid spread within an enclosed college community,” said Haley Phillips, district epidemiologist for the Central Virginia Health District.

All local colleges plan to administer the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it is available, likely in mid-October. Until then, the schools are focusing on prevention and containment through voluntary self-isolation.

Liberty, which has approximately 11,500 residential students, has seen the highest number of cases: 24 as of last week, said Dr. Richard Lane, with the university’s health center.

He expects the situation to get worse in coming weeks.

“The bottom line is swine flu is everywhere,” he said.

Though most cases have been mild, the virus is a concern because approximately 10 to 12 percent of the student body at Liberty falls into the “high risk” category due to chronic disease, Lane said.

The number of swine flu cases reported at each college are estimates. Under the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control, the colleges are not testing for the virus unless the patient is sick enough to be hospitalized. Since it’s not yet time for the seasonal flu, a person displaying the signs of an influenza-like illness is presumed to have H1N1.

The Sweet Briar health center reports three cases of suspected H1N1. College officials have set measures in place, including the distribution of hand sanitizers and educating the campus community about the symptoms and preventive measures.

“The college has been preparing for this for several years. Before this it was bird flu, now it’s swine flu,” said dean of co-curricular life Cheryl Steele.

For students who exhibit symptoms, the college is encouraging them to self-isolate in their dorm rooms or, if they have a roommate, in spare rooms set aside in a former residence hall. There, the student will receive self-care packages with chicken soup, Gatorade and other comforts.

Lynchburg College has five students who have reported to the health center there with flu-like symptoms. Those students have been asked to stay in their rooms until 24 hours has passed without a fever.

Randolph College has reported no swine flu cases, however, administrators have a critical incident management plan in case it starts to show up, said spokeswoman Brenda Edson.

The plan includes campus-wide e-mails about the virus, the distribution of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizers, and empty dorm rooms set aside for voluntary self-isolation.

“It’s nothing to panic over. We’re prepared as we can be to assure that our campus is as safe as it can be,” Edson said.

Liberty students living at the Lynchburg Inn appear generally unfazed by the virus, even though the quarantine rooms are located in their dormitory.

“I’m not worried about it,” said senior Patrick Sims, adding that the cases he’s heard about have not been severe.

Fellow Lynchburg Inn resident Kayode Ilesanmi shares Sims’ sentiment.

“It’s something that’s definitely blown out of proportion,” he said. “It’s not that different than normal flu.”