Waterloo | Influenza Update

Answers from UW's health services and other offices

Are there any specific recommendations for pregnant staff and faculty who are working in close proximity with students?

UW’s pandemic plan does not deal with the issue of pregnancy specifically, but I want to reassure you that the university has committed to work closely with Public Health advice. Pregnant women (in their second and third trimester and women within four weeks post-partum) are not at an increased risk of acquiring the infection but are at higher risk of influenza-related complications from both seasonal influenza and the H1N1 virus. Talk with your health care provider about recommendations regarding flu vaccines for seasonal and pandemic flu. Information for pregnant women relating to H1N1 is available to members of the public from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

There are also recommendations from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety regarding your work environment. You should discuss these with your supervisor and help to establish practices which respect guidelines for office cleanliness and social distancing. If you would like our occupational health nurse to attend a staff meeting to share pandemic information we would be pleased to assist you.

How do I handle the situation when someone comes to class who is coughing and sneezing?

If someone arrives at your class or workplace and is coughing and sneezing, please be kind. Remember it may not be flu; many conditions can cause these symptoms. Establish the expectation at the outset that a person who becomes ill with flu while at class or work will leave and stay at home until the fever has gone and he/she is feeling better. Persons who develop flu symptoms at home should call the professor, faculty advisor or workplace supervisor to give notice of absence. Do not hesitate to step back in settings where a person nearby is coughing and sneezing – try to achieve a six-foot (two-metre) separation between yourself and the ill person. Employees working on the front line should make use of this social distancing strategy too, by setting furniture to increase the distance between the employee and clients. Use telephone or e-mail to communicate whenever possible.

I’ve heard that the pandemic flu is usually mild but can be more serious for people with chronic medical conditions. I have asthma. Do I need to be concerned?

The H1N1 flu virus can be more serious for people with existing medical conditions such as asthma. Other conditions and risk factors that increase the chance of more severe flu include: a suppressed immune system (HIV/AIDS, chemotherapy or prolonged use of oral steroids); pregnancy; asthma; diabetes; heart disease; kidney disease; obesity. If you have a pre-existing condition or special risk factors, and you come down with symptoms of the flu, you should seek medical advice right away. Antiviral medication may help you but it must be taken as soon as within 24-48 hours of onset of symptoms.

I hear that most people do not need to seek health care and are able to manage their flu symptoms with bed rest, fluids and over-the-counter medications to make them feel more comfortable. How would I know if I should see my doctor?

If you are extremely ill, you should seek medical attention right away by calling your family doctor, TeleHealth Ontario, or the Health Services flu line 519-888-4467. Signs of more serious illness include:

• feeling unwell for 3-4 days and not getting any better, or feeling worse
• a high temperature (above 38°C/101°F) that persists for more than 3 days
• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• pain or pressure in the chest or stomach
• coughing bloody or green phlegm
• blue skin around the lips and/or blue skin on fingertips
• severe pain in the ear(s)
• severe vomiting, or inability to keep fluids down
• difficulty waking up or feeling disoriented or confused
• fits or uncontrolled shaking
• dizziness, fainting
• getting better for a few days and then taking a turn for the worse.

People are asking each other whether they should stay home from work when family members appear to be sick. Would the same advice apply to students' roommates?

Providing care for ill family members is a question which has been dealt with in UW’s emergency leave guidelines. This guideline will apply in the case of H1N1 flu.

The challenge with H1N1 flu is not how sick it makes people, but how many people it makes sick. This means that the work of the university may be interrupted if a significant number of people are away because of illness or need to care for loved ones. Consider taking the steps now to be ready in case you or your loved ones come down with the flu. You’ll be more comfortable knowing that you have contingency plans made and supportive friends to help out. Speak with parents in your neighbourhood who may appreciate an opportunity to co-ordinate care for one another’s children in the event that there is a closure of schools. Make arrangements with a grandparent or older friend to care for family members who become ill. Persons over 60 years of age who do not have existing medical conditions are less likely to acquire H1N1 and may be ideal care providers.

The University of Toronto advises students in residence: “If you’re ill while in residence, inform your don and/or other residence staff. It’s also a good idea to identify, in advance, one or more ‘flu buddies’. These are friends who can help you by taking notes in classes, communicating with your professors, and/or checking in with you periodically to see if you need anything. Find your own set of flu buddies — and volunteer to be someone else’s buddy.” This is excellent advice.

The Ontario health ministry has published Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Influenza Virus in Colleges and Universities (September 9, 2009). A key section says: “Students whose homes are not too far from the college or university should make contingency arrangements for a return to home until recovery is complete. Transportation home in a private vehicle is strongly recommended while ill rather than using public or air transportation.”

The Public Health of Canada website offers advice on how to care for someone who is ill. If a household member or roommate is ill and you feel well, you may continue with your usual daily activities at work or school. While others around you are ill, practice hygienic measures diligently and monitor your own health closely. You may wish to avoid crowds and social gatherings. At the first sign of illness in yourself stay home from work or school.