Questions and answers for university community members

Questions for students

1. Are there any confirmed cases of H1N1 on campus?
Several cases of H1N1 were first diagnosed among students and staff throughout the summer and early fall and for several weeks thereafter UVic Health Services continued to see an escalating number of students with flu-like symptoms. In the last few weeks, the number of new cases has been declining. Our experience is representative of what is occurring in the wider community.

2. Is UVic recording the number of cases on campus?
UVic Health Services is documenting confirmed cases of H1N1 although individuals are not required to test for the flu virus. UVic Health Services is also reporting cases of “influenza-like illnesses” to the Vancouver Island Health Authority at their request.

3. What is UVic doing to prevent this virus from spreading throughout campus?
The university continues to monitor the situation in Greater Victoria and throughout the fall an advisory group managed UVic’s response to increased cases on campus. UVic is working closely with public health officials and continues to follow their lead and direction. UVic obtained additional supplies of hand sanitizer for areas of high student traffic.

Students are encouraged to purchase their own personal hand sanitizer. Have your family or friends send you bottles if you can. The university is encouraging students who feel ill to stay at home or in their residence room and minimize social contact. Call or email your instructor instead of going to class. The university has prepared a facility where any residence student requiring isolation can be housed. For further information on how to help prevent the spread of H1N1 visit the provincial government H1N1 website or the Vancouver Island Health Authority website.

4. What are the symptoms of H1N1?
Symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection and include fever, cough, headache, general aches and fatigue. Some people with the H1N1 flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. While most of the cases in Greater Victoria have been mild and people begin to feel better after a few days, sometimes complications such as asthma or pneumonia arise and you’ll need to contact a health care provider. This is especially important if your fever returns after you start to feel better, experience chest pain and shortness of breath, or display symptoms of severe dehydration such as dizziness or low urine production. If you can’t reach UVic Health Services (250-721-8492) contact the 24-hour BC Nurse Hotline at 8-1-1.

5. What can I do to stay healthy or keep from spreading the flu?
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. When you cough, do so into your sleeve if possible. Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer, especially after you cough or sneeze.

6. Should I get a flu shot?
The Vancouver Island Health Authority will resume seasonal flu public vaccination clinics in January 2010. For information about clinics and how to receive the H1N1 vaccine visit the VIHA website.

7. How will I know if I’m at high risk of developing complications due to H1N1?
The Public Health Agency of Canada is developing criteria to determine who is at most risk of developing H1N1. Check their website for updates.

8. Are there any other precautions I can take?
Stock up on juices and soups so if you do get sick you have these products on hand. If you don’t get sick, you can always drink them later!

9. If I’m a residence student and I get sick what should I do?
Notify a Community Leader about your illness. Food services is developing a ‘grab and go’ meal service so you or a friend can bring food back to your room without you having to eat in the dining room and risk infecting others. Before you become ill, identify a “flu buddy”—someone to call if you get sick and who can call you every day to confirm that you’re getting better. Don’t think you should fight the flu on your own. Let a friend or “flu buddy” know that you’re sick so your buddy can keep in touch with you by phone.

10. If I live off-campus, what should I do if my condition worsens?
Off-campus students should identify a “flu buddy” too—someone to call if you get sick and who can call you everyday to confirm that you’re feeling better. If you can’t reach UVic Health Services (250-721-8492) contact the 24-hour BC Nurse Hotline at 8-1-1.

11. What should students do if they suspect they have the virus?
Students who require medical assistance with their flu-like symptoms should call UVic Health Services (250-721-8492) and report the details of their condition. This will reduce the risk of infecting Health Services staff or others during transit.

12. Will students who suspect they have the virus be excused from classes without academic penalty?
Students who are ill and miss classes are urged to email or phone their instructors as soon as possible for instructions and/or refer to online guidance. For the Spring 2010 term, physician confirmation of flu-related illness will not be required from students if the absence from class is less than two weeks. Read a memo from UVic Associate Vice President Catherine Mateer.

The Public Agency of Canada advises people who are ill with H1N1 to limit their movement to mitigate the chance of infecting others. UVic Health Services is concerned that infected students who come to the clinic for their customary confirmation of illness could infect other students or staff.

13. Do I have to go to Student Financial Aid in person to process documents?
If you can’t come to Student Financial Aid due to illness, call 250-721-8423 or email finaid@uvic.ca to find out how to make alternate arrangements to process your documents.

14. Should students and staff with travel plans this fall take special precautions?
There are no public health directives to forgo travel at this time but different conditions exist in different countries. Further information is available at UVic International and Exchange Student Services.

15. What support would UVic offer international students, living in a home stay situation or off campus, who suspects they have the virus? What would UVic do if there were a number of UVic students sharing housing off campus and one of them suspects he or she has been infected?
UVic expects students to self-isolate themselves as much as possible from other members of their household and recover in their homes. UVic would offer the necessary support to ensure a student's academic performance is not affected by the illness. It recognizes the need for the student to get well and to protect the health of the campus community.

16. I have a child in UVic Child Care Services? What are staff doing to mitigate the spread of H1N1 among the children?
In early fall, UVic Health Services visited Child Care Services to educate staff about the need for frequent cleaning of high use areas, frequent hand washing and ensuring that the children wash their hands frequently and cough or sneeze into their sleeves. Additional hand sanitizing stations were installed. However, not surprisingly, child care services is experiencing some cases of flu.

It is extremely important for parents and caregivers to keep their children at home if they are displaying flu-like symptoms. Given the behaviour of young children it is inevitable, despite proactive measures, that cases of the flu will continue to develop. Despite this it is still very important to practice good hygiene practices to slow the spread of the disease and keep it at a manageable level among staff and the children.

17. Where can I get more information?
For the latest information, please check this website. For guidance for post secondary institutions regarding the prevention and management of H1N1 visit the Public Health Agency of Canada website.

Questions for faculty

1. Are there any confirmed cases of H1N1 on campus?
Several cases of H1N1 were first diagnosed among students and staff throughout the summer and early fall and for several weeks thereafter UVic Health Services continued to see an escalating number of students with flu-like symptoms. In the last few weeks, the number of new cases has been declining. Our experience is representative of what is occurring in the wider community.

2. Is UVic recording the number of cases on campus?
UVic Health Services is documenting confirmed cases of H1N1 although individuals are not required to test for the flu virus. UVic Health Services is also reporting cases of “influenza-like illnesses” to the Vancouver Island Health Authority at their request. If you develop flu-like symptoms, stay home and notify your students by email.

3. What is UVic doing to prevent this virus from spreading throughout campus?
The university continues to monitor the situation in Greater Victoria and throughout the fall an advisory group managed UVic’s response to increased cases on campus. UVic is working closely with public health officials and continues to follow their lead and direction. UVic obtained additional supplies of hand sanitizer for areas of high student traffic.

Individual units are encouraged to purchase hand sanitizer while it is available as part of their regular supplies. Employees may wish to supplement that with their own personal supply. The university is encouraging faculty who feel ill to stay at home and minimize social contact. For further information on how to help prevent the spread of H1N1 visit the provincial government H1N1 website or the Vancouver Island Health Authority website.

4. What are the symptoms of H1N1?
Symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection and include fever, cough, headache, general aches and fatigue. Some people with the H1N1 flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

5. What can I do to stay healthy or keep from spreading the flu?
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. When you cough, do so into your sleeve if possible. Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer, especially after you cough or sneeze.

6. Someone I work with has just returned to work after being home with the flu. Should I worry about working with this individual?
There is no definitive information about the period of time when an individual is considered contagious. Evidence suggests that an individual might even be contagious the day or two before experiencing symptoms. People are encouraged to not return to work until they feel capable of resuming a full workload and no longer have a fever. Once someone who has had the flu returns to work, they have immunity to the virus and would not be a carrier to pass it on to someone else.

If you are a member of a group at higher risk of developing complications from the flu, consult with your physician now about additional precautions you can take, such as obtaining an prescription for Tamiflu which is effective at lessening the impact and duration of the flu if taken within 48 hours of developing symptoms.

The best precaution to mitigate the spread of influenza remains frequent hand washing with either soap or hand sanitizer, cleaning high touch areas of your work space and keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Practising good personal hygiene is especially important now that more cases of the flu are being reported.

7. If faculty members suspect they have the virus and can’t teach—will other faculty members take over their courses? If no other faculty member is available, how will the university ensure students remain current in their studies?
As is UVic’s normal practice in cases of instructor illness, substitute instructors will be found where possible. All students will have been provided with a course syllabus at the beginning of the class and they should use that as a guide for required readings and completion of assignments. Email or phone contact with the instructor is suggested where possible. For further clarification regarding a specific course, contact the appropriate department chair or dean.

8. Should I get a flu shot?
The Vancouver Island Health Authority will resume seasonal flu public vaccination clinics in January 2010. For information about clinics and how to receive the H1N1 vaccine visit the VIHA website.

9. What should I do if my students report to me that they are sick?
Students who are ill and miss classes are being urged to email or phone their instructors as soon as possible for instructions and/or refer to online guidance. For the fall 2009 term, physician confirmation of flu-related illness will not be required from students if the absence from class is less than two weeks. Read a memo from UVic Associate Vice President Catherine Mateer.

10. Should faculty with travel plans this fall take special precautions?
There are no public health directives to forgo travel at this time but different conditions exist in different countries. Further information is available at UVic International and Exchange Student Services.

11. I have a child in UVic Child Care Services? What are staff doing to mitigate the spread of H1N1 among the children?
In early fall, UVic Health Services visited Child Care Services to educate staff about the need for frequent cleaning of high use areas, frequent hand washing and ensuring that the children wash their hands frequently and cough or sneeze into their sleeves. Additional hand sanitizing stations were installed. However, not surprisingly, child care services is experiencing some cases of flu.

It is extremely important for parents and caregivers to keep their children at home if they are displaying flu-like symptoms. Given the behaviour of young children it is inevitable, despite proactive measures, that cases of the flu will continue to develop. Despite this it is still very important to practice good hygiene practices to slow the spread of the disease and keep it at a manageable level among staff and the children.

Questions for staff

1. Are there any confirmed cases of H1N1 on campus?
Several cases of H1N1 were first diagnosed among students and staff throughout the summer and early fall and for several weeks thereafter UVic Health Services continued to see an escalating number of students with flu-like symptoms. In the last few weeks, the number of new cases has been declining. Our experience is representative of what is occurring in the wider community.

2. Is UVic recording the number of cases on campus?
UVic Health Services is documenting confirmed cases of H1N1 although individuals are not required to test for the flu virus. UVic Health Services is also reporting cases of “influenza-like illnesses” to the Vancouver Island Health Authority at their request. If you develop flu-like symptoms, stay home and notify your department’s administration by phone or email.

3. What is UVic doing to prevent this virus from spreading throughout campus?
The university continues to monitor the situation in Greater Victoria and throughout the fall an advisory group managed UVic’s response to increased cases on campus. UVic is working closely with public health officials and continues to follow their lead and direction. UVic obtained additional supplies of hand sanitizer for areas of high student traffic.

Given that the virus can survive on some surfaces for several hours to days, the Public Health Agency of Canada advises frequent cleaning of high touch surfaces such as door knobs, computer keyboards, telephones, etc. Unfortunately, the university does not have the resources to ramp up the regular Janitorial Services cleaning schedule to this level. Staff are advised to clean their own high touch areas on a twice daily basis using regular household cleanser. Frequent cleansing is the most effective method of destroying the virus. The university is encouraging staff who feel ill to stay at home and minimize social contact. For further information on how to help prevent the spread of H1N1 visit the provincial government H1N1 website or the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

4. What are the symptoms of H1N1?
Symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection and include fever, cough, headache, general aches and fatigue. Some people with the H1N1 flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

5. What can I do to stay healthy or keep from spreading the flu?
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. When you cough, do so into your sleeve if possible. Wash your hands often with soap and water, or use a hand sanitizer, especially after you cough or sneeze.

6. Someone I work with has just returned to work after being home with the flu. Should I worry about working with this individual?
There is no definitive information about the period of time when an individual is considered contagious. Evidence suggests that an individual might even be contagious the day or two before experiencing symptoms. People are encouraged to not return to work until they feel capable of resuming a full workload and no longer have a fever. Once someone who has had the flu returns to work, they have immunity to the virus and would not be a carrier to pass it on to someone else.

If you are a member of a group at higher risk of developing complications from the flu, consult with your physician now about additional precautions you can take, such as obtaining an prescription for Tamiflu which is effective at lessening the impact and duration of the flu if taken within 48 hours of developing symptoms.

The best precaution to mitigate the spread of influenza remains frequent hand washing with either soap or hand sanitizer, cleaning high touch areas of your work space and keeping your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Practising good personal hygiene is especially important now that more cases of the flu are being reported.

7. If staff members suspect they have the virus, what should they do?
The university is encouraging staff members who feel ill to stay at home and minimize social contact. Staff should also refer to the guidelines outlined in the collective agreements:

8. Should I get a flu shot?
The Vancouver Island Health Authority will resume seasonal flu public vaccination clinics in January 2010. For information about clinics and how to receive the H1N1 vaccine visit the VIHA website.

9. Should staff with travel plans this fall take special precautions?
There are no public health directives to forgo travel at this time but different conditions exist in different countries. Further information is available at UVic International and Exchange Student Services.

10. I have a child in UVic Child Care Services? What are staff doing to mitigate the spread of H1N1 among the children?
In early fall, UVic Health Services visited Child Care Services to educate staff about the need for frequent cleaning of high use areas, frequent hand washing and ensuring that the children wash their hands frequently and cough or sneeze into their sleeves. Additional hand sanitizing stations were installed. However, not surprisingly, child care services is experiencing some cases of flu.

It is extremely important for parents and caregivers to keep their children at home if they are displaying flu-like symptoms. Given the behaviour of young children it is inevitable, despite proactive measures, that cases of the flu will continue to develop. Despite this it is still very important to practice good hygiene practices to slow the spread of the disease and keep it at a manageable level among staff and the children.

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