Campus Life

H1N1 Update: Aug. 25, 2009

The last sunny days of August may not feel like flu season. However, occasional cases of influenza are still occurring in students at University Park and prevention strategies remain essential.

The most effective strategies against both H1N1 and seasonal flu are personal prevention through hand-washing and cough/cold etiquette, other non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), and obtaining the seasonal and H1N1 flu shots. The most important NPI currently recommended is the exclusion of ill individuals from public, school, and group activities.

If you are diagnosed with influenza, it is important to “self-isolate” for at least 24 hours after your temperature returns to normal (below 100 degrees Fahrenheit). University Health Services recommends that students with influenza return home while they are ill in order to reduce the likelihood of infecting others in the community. If that is not possible, residence hall staff will help identify housing alternatives. Especially when there are few cases, isolation is more likely to work and keep the numbers of infected individuals low.

Symptoms for H1N1 flu are similar to seasonal flu -- fever, headache, upper respiratory tract symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose), muscle aches, fatigue, vomiting and/or diarrhea. Penn State students with flu-like symptoms should call the UHS Advice Nurse at (814) 863-4463 for evaluation.

Additional information about the H1N1 influenza is available at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/general_info.htm online. For up-to-date information regarding H1N1 at Penn State, visit http://www.flu.psu.edu online.

Last Updated September 1, 2009