Influenza-Like Illness/H1N1: Prevention

Prevention

1. Maintain a healthy lifestyle through rest, diet, exercise, and relaxation.

2. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available. Be sure to wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.

3. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes. Germs spread this way.

4. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your elbow. Dispose of tissues in no-touch trash receptacles.

5. Keep frequently touched common surfaces clean, such as telephones, computer keyboards, doorknobs, etc.

6. Do not use other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and equipment. If you need to use a co-worker’s phone, desk, or other equipment, clean it first.

7. Don’t spread the flu! If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home.

   Symptoms of flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or chills and cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting. CDC recommends that sick workers stay home if they are sick with flu-like illness until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines.

8. Get vaccinated against seasonal flu when vaccine is available in your area. If you are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 flu complications you should receive the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine when it becomes available. People at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 flu complications include pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes). For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.

How is the flu transmitted?

The flu virus, like many other infections of the nose, throat and lungs, is transmitted by tiny fluid particles ejected from the nose and mouth by coughing or sneezing.  Those particles can deposit on surfaces, then be transmitted to another person when they touch that surface, then touch their eyes, nose, or mouth.  Depending on the surface, the virus can survive 2-8 hours once deposited.

What are the signs and symptoms of H1N1 flu in people?

The symptoms in people are similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal flu and include:

• fever greater than 100 degrees
• cough
• sore throat
• body aches
• headache
• chills and fatigue
• respiratory congestion

Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with this virus.

Like seasonal flu, the H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions and greater risk of severe illness in those with compromised immune systems or women who are pregnant. The target age population most at risk for H1N1 are children and young adults.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause influenza-like illness. Take these simple steps to protect your health:

• Wash your hands with soap and water OR use alcohol hand rubs which are easy and effective to prevent spread of infection, especially after coughing/sneezing.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough/ sneeze; throw the tissue in the trash after you use it, then clean your hands.
• Cough/sneeze into your elbow, if you do not have a tissue.
• Avoid close contact with sick people, especially if you have an underlying high-risk condition (pregnancy, suppressed immune response, or serious respiratory disease)

Should I get a seasonal flu shot?

Seasonal flu vaccine is the vaccine offered every year in the fall. It covers you against three common types of influenza. These types are chosen each year as the ones most likely to infect our community during the flu season (December to March). This vaccine does not give protection against H1N1 flu. Since H1N1 is a "novel" or new virus, it could not be included in the Seasonal vaccine.

Why get the seasonal vaccine?

With H1N1 influenza going around, it is important to be immune to the more common types of influenza for two reasons:

1. Not knowing how much H1N1 flu may be here in the winter months, it will help all of us if we can keep seasonal flu illness low.
2. Influenza virus is very good at changing into new forms. It is possible that H1N1 could combine with one of the seasonal types and become more dangerous. That combination could occur if a person is sick with H1N1 and a seasonal type at the same time.

Where can I get a seasonal flu shot?

STUDENTS - Student Health is continuing to offer Seasonal flu vaccine.  It is available in the SHS Pharmacy, in our evening outreach programs, and in our nurse clinics.  It is also available during individual appointment with SHS providers. 

Please visit our Student Health home page at shs.osu.edu for flu clinic information, and our Events calendar for dates and times. 

Flu shots may also be available through your private physician, or other places around the campus area.   

FACULTY AND STAFF - Flu shots may also be available through your private physician, or other places around Columbus.

Faculty, staff and Medical Center personnel can receive a free flu vaccination at one of several campus locations from October 6 through November 13. Dates and locations can be found at http://hr.osu.edu/mhcs/flu/index.aspx.  Flu vaccine is also available through Employee Health Services at Cramblett Hall.

This year, the campus flu campaign will include two dates for adult dependents (18 years of age and older) of faculty and staff who are enrolled in a university health plan. Dependents must bring their health insurance card for identification.

When will the H1N1 vaccine be available and who can get it?

Limited supplies of the H1N1 vaccine are in Columbus, and OSU Medical Center and Student Health Services are distributing this vaccine based on the established risk groups defined by the CDC.  The H1N1 vaccine scheduling system is available to faculty, staff and students at 614-514-4161.

What should I do if I get sick?

If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms, you should self-isolate and students should go home if possible. Contact your primary health care provider by telephone if you get worse, with fever over 103, breathing problems, or new symptoms like severe headache, sinus pain or ear pain, or if you have a health issue that put you at higher risk.

Healthcare resources:

• Employees - their primary care physician or University Health Connection in Parks Hall.
• Students - Wilce Student Health Center or their private physician.

The CDC recommends you stay home from work/school/large gatherings, and limit contact with others to avoid infecting them, until your fever is gone for at least 24 hours without fever medicines.

Stay six feet away from healthy people, or wear a mask. Students should contact the residence hall staff or RA for other assistance, such as arranging meal deliveries.

If you experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion or seizures
• Severe or persistent vomiting

What health issues are considered higher risk?

Some people with certain health issues may be in greater danger of complications if they get the flu. These are:

• Pregnant women
• People with chronic lung disease, like asthma, emphysema, or COPD
• People with chronic heart failure
• People with immunosuppression from illness or medications

People with high risk conditions should be in contact with a healthcare provider as soon as they become ill with the flu.

What about anti-viral medicine? Is that useful?

No, these medicines are not generally useful.  Anti-viral medicines like oseltamivir work by slowing down new virus production.  For otherwise healthy people with the flu, the benefit of using these medicines is fairly limited, as it must be used early in the illness and may only shorten symptoms by a day.  Anti-virals are recommended for flu patients with severe or worsening symptoms, or for persons with high-risk for complications (see above).  These medicines can also be used for preventing influenza in high-risk persons.

Do masks protect us from the flu?

Tim Buckley: The short answer is yes.

Each time you sneeze or cough, small and large droplets spray into the air. These droplets carry viruses. Even the large droplets are smaller than the period at the end of this sentence and not visible to the human eye.

The smaller droplets are more dangerous. They remain in the air longer and can travel farther than larger droplets.

Dust masks and surgical masks will provide some protection against the larger droplets, but little protection against the smaller particles.

A mask known as an N95 respirator will provide more effective protection even against the dangerous small particles. For example, during the SARS outbreak in 2003, masks were associated with 70% decreased risk.

The fit of the mask is important. It is not possible to properly fit the N95 respirator to children or persons with facial hair. N95 respirators can be purchased online or at hardware stores and pharmacies. It is important to look for the N95 designation.

Tim Buckley, Ph., is associate professor and chair, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health. He is an expert in the airborne transmission of infectious agents, including H1N1. His research focuses on prevention through detecting and disinfecting disease-causing germs in the environment. Buckley is one of 125 researchers in Ohio State’s Public Health Preparedness for Infectious Diseases program.

If you have questions specific to Ohio State's preparedness plans you can email Emergency Management: emergencymanagement@dps.ohio-state.edu.