Hopkins is preparing itself for what University health officials predict will be an outbreak of the H1N1 virus on campus - a threat heightened after a Homewood student tested positive for influenza Type A.
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, administrators announced that three Homewood campus students reported to the Student Health and Wellness Center with influenza-like symptoms.
None of these students required special treatment other than what is normally recommended for the flu.
From the early stages of the outbreak, the Hopkins community has been actively involved in plans to deal with a possible pandemic.
"There has been a university-wide effort," Alain Joffe, director of the Student Health and Wellness Center said.
"Since April, the University as a whole came together every week to prepare for the upcoming outbreak. The supply of hand sanitizers and posters emphasizing hand-washing are all result of the timely meetings."
According to Joffe, Health and Wellness has a stock of antiviral drugs Oseltamivir, commonly known as Tamiflu.
However, Tamiflu will only be administered to patients who are determined to be at risk of developing complications, following directions from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Influenza A H1N1, also known as swine flu, is a Type A strain of influenza, which was responsible for major flu pandemics. Unlike Type B and C influenza, Type A strains are usually observed in animals. Thus the appearance of a Type A strain of influenza in humans presents a serious concern.
Although Influenza A H1N1 shows high infectivity, its severity is similar to that of seasonal flu. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention notes that "the proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was low and within the bounds of what is expected in the summer."
Rapid flu tests are offered at the Student Health and Wellness Center, to quickly identify whether a student has the Type A strain of influenza.
However, these tests cannot diagnose swine flu definitively. The actual test for swine flu takes considerably longer and cannot be administered on campus. The University will start seasonal flu vaccinations on Monday. Requests for Influenza A H1N1 vaccines have been made to the state health department and vaccinations will be available around October.
However, like Tamiflu, Influenza A H1N1 vaccines may not be accessible to everyone.According to an e-mail sent out by the University administration to all students, H1N1 is expected to be the cause of most flu incidences on campus this fall, it is still recommended that students also get vaccinated for seasonal flu, as well as seeking to get the H1N1 flu vaccine.
"My intention is to vaccinate everyone who desires to be vaccinated," Joffe said. "However, the CDC distributes the vaccines to state health departments. If the Maryland State Health Department gives us enough vaccines, everyone who wants to will be vaccinated. If they give us a limited amount of vaccines, say 300-400 doses, then we must prioritize, vaccinating those at risk first." Pregnant women and students suffering from asthma qualify as individuals at higher risk.
Deans have also met with faculty to prepare for possible situations arising due to the pandemic. Members of faculty have been asked to be understanding with regards to possible absences due to the flu and not to pressure students into attending class when they feel sick.
All these measures have been taken to postpone a possible worst case scenario, in which so many students become sick at one time to the extent that classes would not function and staff would not be able to take care of students.
Another University administrative update issued on Aug. 28 stated that they do not currently have plans to set up any sort of isolation ward for infected students. If a student does catch the flu and has family living nearby, they are encouraged to go home to recover.
It is not only Hopkins that has taken precautionary measures to counter the pandemic.
It was decided in August that all Maryland's hospitals will be linked in a computerized system to better track potential outbreaks.
Hopkins Hospital and Union Memorial have joined a collective along with 46 other hospitals. The hospitals will share data on admitted patients, diagnoses and treatments in the surveillance program.
Drugstores in Maryland will also be reporting sales of flu and cold medications.
Joffe urged students to practice good hand-washing and minimize exposure to sick people.
"It is also important to sleep well, eat well and exercise well," he said. "Stress can render you more susceptible to the virus. While all viruses may change, there is no evidence that the virus may mutate due to an overuse of hand sanitizers. So everyone should practice good hand hygiene."
