H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) Information and Resources

Updated Monday, August 10

Travel and study abroad Members of the University community who are contemplating travel abroad are advised to consult CDC Travel Notices for updated recommendations.  Many countries, including Japan and China, are screening arriving passengers for illness due to novel H1N1 flu and may quarantine visitors with a fever or other signs or symptoms of an influenza like illness. Travelers should be prepared for delays related to H1N1 screening and should consult the Study Abroad H1N1 Web site prior to travel. Embassy and Consular Web sites are also a good source of information. If you are studying abroad and feel sick with the flu, you should immediately go to the health clinic at the university you are attending or the nearest hospital. Please inform the international office at your host university as well as your study abroad advisor at UM of your condition.

Miami-Dade County continues to have higher-than-expected rates of influenza-like illness for this time of year. An influenza-like illness is defined by the Florida Department of Health as fever (temperature of 100F [37.8C] or greater) and a cough and/or a sore throat in the absence of a KNOWN cause other than influenza. There have been several cases of influenza-like illness among students, faculty, and staff of the University of Miami and their relatives, including small children. Some of these cases have been diagnosed as H1N1 influenza, though most have not.  
 
Individuals with influenza-like illnesses should stay home for seven days after the onset of symptoms or until symptom-free for 24 hours (whichever is longer) as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their guidance documents. Household members and other close contacts have been urged to follow the same recommendations if symptoms develop.

For more information, read the CDC’s Web page, What to Do If You Get Flu-Like Symptoms.

The University's H1N1 flu crisis decision team is led by Joseph Natoli, senior vice president for business and finance and chief financial officer; Patricia Whitely, vice president for student affairs; and Howard Anapol, director of UM’s Student Health Service. The team has been meeting regularly to evaluate the latest developments and proactively determine appropriate steps for the University community in close collaboration with the Miller School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases.

University leaders are maintaining regular contact with local and regional Departments of Public Health and have a fully functional pandemic management plan in place.

Updates will be provided as warranted and will also be posted on the University of Miami home page and the UM H1N1 Flu Web site.

If you get sick, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Please follow the preventive tips below to help stay healthy.

Students with a febrile respiratory illness should go to the Student Health Service and faculty and staff should go to their doctor. The Student Health Service can be contacted at 305-284-9100, via email to studenthealth@miami.edu, or online.

General recommendations to stay healthy from the Centers for Disease Control include the following: Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way. Try to avoid contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. Use of Face Masks At this time, face masks are not viewed as necessary for healthy individuals who are not at elevated risk for contracting or exposure to the H1N1 flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control, masks may be considered in certain circumstances in conjunction with other preventive measures.

The following signs, which can be downloaded in PDF format and displayed in your office or other locations where students or employees can easily read them, provide short but valuable tips on staying healthy.