Stay Healthy During Flu Season
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| Click here for a copy of this informational flyer. |
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is stressing prevention and healthy-living techniques to help its students, faculty and staff avoid the H1N1 virus (previously called swine flu) and seasonal flu this year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the H1N1 virus may spread widely beginning in mid-September unless preventive measures are taken. The target population for H1N1 appears to be people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years. Combined with the seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus may hit college communities particularly hard.
Two key ways to reduce the impact of these viruses and to help the Penn State Behrend community maintain its health during this period are proper hand washing and good cough/sneeze etiquette:
Wash your hands and make it fast, foamy and furious!
-- Wash hands for 15-20 seconds. (That’s the “Happy Birthday” song twice.)
-- Wash hands periodically during the day after contact with potentially contaminated surfaces.
-- Wash hands before any activity, such as eating, that involves putting your fingers in or near your mouth or eyes.
-- Wash hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Prevent the spread!
-- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or cough or sneeze into your elbow or upper sleeve, not intoyour hands
-- If you have symptoms of H1N1 flu or have been diagnosed with influenza, isolate yourself from others. Faculty, staff and students not living on campus should stay home if sick. Students living on campus should consider returning home to recover. All should remain at home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications.
What to look for:
Symptoms of the flu include:
-- Fever
-- Headache
-- Upper respiratory tract symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose)
-- Muscle aches
-- Fatigue
-- Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
The H1N1 flu, in particular, is characterized by a very high fever, body aches, a wet cough, and, in 30 percent to 40 percent of cases, vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Students experiencing these symptoms are encouraged to contact Penn State Behrend’s Health and Wellness Center at 898-6217.
For an informational flyer on the preventive measures listed above, visit http://live.psu.edu/fullimg/userpics/10004/handwashing.pdf online.
For more information, visit flu.psu.edu or cdc.gov/h1n1flu.