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Stanford Report, April 29, 2009

Provost issues memo to campus community on swine flu

The following letter was sent Tuesday, April 28:

Dear Members of the Stanford Community:

No doubt you have been following the news about swine influenza and have heard that the World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert level. You should know that the university has long-standing emergency pandemic plans and is prepared to respond should the situation escalate.

We are monitoring developments and are working closely with the county public health department, Stanford's hospitals and infectious disease faculty at the medical school. A campus-wide task force has convened to implement emergency plans as necessary.

We strongly urge students, faculty and staff to avoid travel to Mexico, the country hardest hit by the flu thus far. Please be aware that if you do travel to Mexico, you may not be allowed to return to the country, should travel restrictions be imposed, and could face other restrictions as the situation evolves.

The symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of regular flu, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Anyone who is experiencing a fever above 100 degrees F (37.8 C) and a cough or sore throat and who has recently traveled in Mexico, southern California, southern Texas or other areas with confirmed cases of swine flu—or who has recently had contact with someone who is ill and has traveled to those areas—should seek medical attention. Swine flu can be treated with viral drugs to minimize symptoms, particularly within two days of onset. Students should contact Vaden Health Center at 498-2336. Faculty and staff should contact their primary care physician.

Faculty and staff who experience symptoms should not come to work, and students with symptoms should avoid classes and events. We know this is a busy time for everyone, but now more than ever, we need to consider the health of other community members.

If there is a confirmed swine flu outbreak on campus, we could be required to close most of our dorms and send as many students as possible home. Although we do not anticipate having to do this, if it happened, we would ask instructors to explore ways to allow students to complete their spring classes online. Faculty and students should be aware of this possibility and consider what they might do should it occur.

We hope everyone remembers and will follow these common sense measures, which can help diminish the spread of the flu virus:

  • Wash your hands with soap and water frequently or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands, since they pick up viruses from surfaces you touch.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

    • Please continue to check for Stanford-related information at http://www.stanford.edu/swineflu. University members are also encouraged to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

    Sincerely,

    John Etchemendy

    Provost