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Over the past few days, there have been a number of reports regarding
the swine flu. As of Wednesday, April 29, 2009, no cases have been
reported in Washington state. However, Seattle Pacific University is aware
of the significance of this virus and the possible impact on a community
such as ours.
Swine flu is a virus that affects humans similar to typical influenza.
Symptoms include fever, lethargy, headache, lack of appetite, body aches,
and coughing. Other symptoms may be a runny nose, sore throat, nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea. For more information about the swine flu, the Center for Disease
Control is helpful.
Although no swine flu cases have been reported in Washington, we
encourage our community members to do their part to stay healthy:
- Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with
soap and warm water, or by using an alcohol based hand sanitizer.
- Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow. If
you do cough or sneeze into your hands, wash them before touching
anything.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- Keep hydrated. Get seven to eight hours of sleep
each night. Eat nutritious meals.
- Keep your room or office clean. Use a cleaner
with a disinfectant. Clean table tops, phones, doorknobs, light
switches, remote controls, etc.
- If you are ill, stay at home or away from others
to prevent further transmission of germs.
It is possible that students, faculty, and/or staff have traveled to
areas that have confirmed reports of swine flu. Please take precautions
before returning to campus. If you are planning a trip, you may want to check
the travel advisory information.
The swine flu can take up to seven days from contact to symptoms. If
you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, contact your
health care provider. For students, the Health
Center is available.
We have been monitoring the situation in Seattle and around the world,
and we have been receiving continuing updates throughout each day from Public Health–Seattle/King County. More
information will be disseminated to the SPU community as the need arises.
If you have any questions or want to report any incidents, please
contact Jean Brown, director of the Student Health Center at jbrown@spu.edu or 206-281-2231;
or Jeff Jordan, associate vice president, dean of student life at jordaj2@spu.edu or 206-281-2481.
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