President's message regarding H1N1

September 1, 2009

Dear Mines Community,

I hope the semester has started out well and this will be a successful and healthy year for all of you. Beginning last spring the H1N1 flu virus has been a topic of concern for all of us. As it has spread worldwide, we have kept abreast of its impact and have been planning our response to this virus. Colorado School of Mines staff members are in contact with the Jefferson County Public Health Department, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and receive regular updates from the Centers for Disease Control.

Novel H1N1 flu is widespread throughout the world. Fortunately, the vast majority of cases are mild. At this point, the H1N1 virus appears no more virulent or severe than most seasonal flus. This strain does seem to affect young adults more frequently and for this reason we are particularly concerned.

Cases of H1N1 have already appeared on most college campuses. We expect to see cases of H1N1 this fall at Mines. We strongly encourage all members of the Mines community to take the standard precautions adopted during any flu season – and to play an active role in our public health prevention efforts. In the event of a large outbreak recommendations regarding changes in or cancellations of campus activities will be communicated broadly to faculty, students and staff through email and other communications.

Flu vaccine for both seasonal flu and H1N1 will be available on campus as soon as they are received. Watch for notification of the days and times of the flu clinics.

A webpage with information on the flu has been established at: http://inside.mines.edu/Flu. Highlights from the webpage for students, faculty and staff appear below. By working together, it is my hope that we can minimize the impact of H1N1 on our campus.

Sincerely,

Bill Scoggins
President

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STUDENTS AND PARENTS

Students who have influenza-like illness should first self isolate within their residence hall rooms, their apartments or shared housing facilities. These students should not attend classes, labs or exams. If you are a residence hall resident please consider returning to your permanent home if possible to recuperate.
Self-isolating means staying more than three feet away from another person at all times. They should cover their noses and mouths when they cough or sneeze and frequently wash their hands with soap and warm water or disinfect with hand sanitizer.
Students are advised to be familiar with Mines' policy regarding the make-up of work missed to excused absences. This policy may be found on page 27 of the 2009-2010 Undergraduate Bulletin.
Students with influenza-like illness are requested to notify the university by using the self-reporting function at http://inside.mines.edu/Flu. Self reporting is recommended in order to ensure an absence due to influenza is excused. A doctor’s verification of the absence as per existing student absence policies may also be used.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is not recommending "quarantining" as an effective way to contain the virus. Based on that recommendation, and due to the widespread nature of the virus and the limited capacity of Mines residence halls, the University is not "quarantining" sick students.
Residence hall students who have influenza-like illness are urged to stay in their rooms and not to enter large-group settings until 24 hours after any fever has ended (and ended naturally without the aid of medications).
Any Mines student living in a residence hall that is coughing and sneezing can obtain a surgical mask from the residence hall front desk. The masks are only for people who are sick to help prevent others from becoming sick. Wearing a mask provides no health benefit to a healthy person.
Any Mines student who is experiencing influenza-like illness can call either the Student Health Center 303-273-3381 or their medical provider to discuss treatment options. People who are at increased risk — pregnant women and people with pre-existing medical conditions — should be seen by a health care provider promptly.
The Student Health Center will consider only people in at-risk populations or with severely worsening flu symptoms as potential recipients of anti-viral medications such as Tamiflu.
For more information, visit Student Health Center Web site at: http://inside.mines.edu/Student_Health_Center