<p>Prior to their departure for school we received e-mails from my kids colleges. Two attend the same school and the older one is at another school. The e-mails stated the University plan for dealing with the Swine flu, however, it seems to be spreading quickly considering students have just returned to school. Cornell has over 500 students with reported flu like symptoms and very sadly, yesterday, the school reported that a 20 year old junior had passed away. This is such devastating news and it is a wake up call that this flu (as others) can be responsible for loss of lives. </p>
<p>My other child is also reporting that there are more than 100 cases of suspected swine flu at that campus. </p>
<p>All of my kids are concerned with the number of sick kids still attending classes and "coughing up a lung" as they put it. I wonder if professors are going to start banning these sick kids from class untill they are well enough to return. It seems that something more needs to be done so that sick kids either go home to recuperate or stay in their living quarters. It also seems that the kids at the very selective schools are just going to keep attending classes fearing that they will get too far behind. Have any parents heard of changes in their kids college flu plan?</p>
<p>The passing of the Cornell student has me so upset. I just can't even imagine how this young mans family and friends are coping with their loss.</p>
<p>Cornell is requiring professors to not penalize students for absences and to provide them with opportunities to make up missed work. I’m sure this will encourage sick students to not go to class. But there are limits to what a university can do when several thousand students live in close quarters in the dorms, where many share bedrooms with others and all share bathrooms with others. Sending all sick students home would not be practical; many come from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Cornell is encouraging sick students whose families live nearby to go home to recover, but that option isn’t available to a large proportion of the student body.</p>
<p>It will almost certainly turn out that the student who died had an underlying medical condition. Of course, there are many other students at Cornell and other colleges, and it is primarily for their benefit that sick students should isolate themselves as much as possible. But it’s important to recognize the reality that college students living on-campus cannot isolate themselves as completely as those living at home (or in off-campus apartments) can.</p>
<p>I meant to say that there are many students on campus with underlying medical problems, and students who get sick need to isolate themselves as much as possible for the benefit of those people.</p>
<p>A doctor I respect told me that he thinks 60-100% of Americans will get swine flu this year! He said that fortunately, most cases will be mild. Still, what a prediction!</p>
<p>I heard about the student at Cornell also. I go to Ithaca College so have been hearing a lot about it. It seems like Cornell has it worse, I haven’t noticed any absences in my classes and don’t know anyone with it. But also my school isn’t confirming any cases. We’re getting the vaccines in very soon, and I never get a flu vaccine but will get this one since I prefer to not miss class.</p>
<p>I think another couple Cornell students are in the hospital.</p>
<p>OH gee, what a tragedy about the Cornell Student. My heart goes out to all.</p>
<p>When H1N1 broke last spring the CDC didn’t really know how long one remains contagious. At first, they recommended isolation for a week after the fever broke. They aggressively went into a few communities, took tests and did interviews and concluded that isolation only needs to occur for 24 hrs after the fever breaks.</p>
<p>A person with H1N1 is MOST CONTAGIOUS during the period with a fever. One can still be coughing, fever abated and won’t be contagious.
That said - it is very true that H1N1 spreads very very quickly. While many people will have mild illness, some will not.</p>
<p>Parents and students need to be aware of signs and symptoms -and those symptoms that suggest a need for immediate medical care. If your child is away, keep in contact if they become ill.</p>
<p>Frankly, I think the fever thing is tripping people up because apparently a fever is not a prerequisite for having the illness. So these kids who are “coughing up a lung” and don’t have a fever, could very well have the virus and passing it along. How it manifests in you might be something very different to someone else. So… I think if you are achy and have a cough, consider yourself sick and stay home for a day or two. Our son’s school has it so you tell your dean/RA that you’re ill. They move the roommate and/or have him/her bring you food, etc. A worse case scenario is apparently to close the college and all kids needed to have an evacuation plan. Fortunately, even though we live 2000 miles away (approx) my Brother in law lives only four hours and so, he’d drive up and get S. I think they are recommending kids get any kind of flu shot now, especially those with any kind of underlying issues (asthma, etc), as it could slow down affects even if it wont prevent getting it. Hopefully a vaccine will be out soon.</p>
<p>I haven’t heard from son or on the school website where any cases have been confirmed when he attends school. Of course, it is in the middle of nowhere, but school just started like two weeks ago and upperclassman just got there last week. This is the first weekend of partying and so, we’ll see what happens this week in terms of numbers.</p>
<p>No, actually, fever is a hallmark of H1N1 and the CDC recommends that 24hours after the fever has broken, the person may re-enter his normal pattern of activity. The cough my linger a very long time.</p>
<p>I would typically agree, however the New England Journal of Medicine reported that:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>So, I am erring on the side of caution and suggesting steering clear of people with severe cough, fever or not. Plus… how many college students really know how to take their temperature? AND. if you only have a slight fever, taking fever-reducing pain killer for oh say, a sore throat from coughing would minimize the feeling that one had a fever at all.</p>
<p>Taking ones temperature is not rocket science. My kids were taking their own temp since they were about 10 years old.</p>
<p>The vast majority of cases seen in the US accompany a fever. Right now, if you have flu symptoms and a fever over 100.5 the odds are excellent it’s H1N1. Without a fever, maybe not.<br>
Again - this is the guideline from the CDC:
</p>
<p>Folks with H1N1 or any virus may continue to cough after the fever without being contagious. Of course, anyone with a persistent cough that keeps them up at night or is worse upon activity should seek medical care.</p>
<p>This is all so confusing. My sister-in-law was diagnosed with it, but hers began with the cough. A fever followed within 24 hours and that was the when the diagnosis was made. She believes she was exposed to the flu earlier in the week at her doctor’s office, when she went in for something unrelated. She believes the incubation period is very short, maybe 3 days, until the onset of symptoms.</p>
<p>toledo - that makes sense. You certainly can be contagious before symptoms and the fever. That is how the virus is transmitted. If you get the cough first - the fever seems to present itself quickly. In many cases the fever presents itself first and sometimes they present together.</p>
<p>It is prudent to stay away from people - especially those you don’t know - who have a cough. Kids who remain coughing but not contagious need to be thoughtful and remain hygienic but they don’t have to stay in their rooms.</p>
<p>Wait… it makes sense that Toledo had cough and then fever but when I say you can have the disease without fever and just a cough, this didn’t make sense? </p>
<p>That information is from way back in May. It has all changed since then.<br>
I would go by whatever the CDC has as most current on their website.
Information that was available mid-May may be meaningless now - much has been learned since then.</p>
<p>Also your kids should look at their college’s website and follow their guidelines - they will be current and with the CDC guidelines.</p>
<p>^^^ I’m not so sure. In the past couple of weeks I had fever and every symptom in the swine flu book and almost definitely caught what I had from both H and S who had all the same symptoms but with no fever. S was exposed to someone with a confirmed case. I suppose it’s possible that they each had fever at some point, without realizing it though.</p>
<p>The CDC website is great but nothing is foolproof. Did they have any new info on the possible transmission of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 at the NC summer camp?</p>
<p>H1N1 is caused by a virus. The thinking now is that most people run a fever. I never said it was impossible not to have a fever. If you ever witnessed a run of chicken pox through a neighborhood you would notice that some kids get really sick and feverish and some have a very mild case.
It’s possible to have a very mild case and not run or notice a fever.<br>
It’s also possible to not realize that you are running a low grade fever if you are not taking your temperature or start taking fever reducing medicine regularly.</p>
<p>I always tell my kids to wait a full 4 hrs or even longer after Tylenol or ibuprofen to wear off and take the temp to check for fever. Fevers also tend to be nigher in the afternoon and early evening. Of course, some fevers bust right through Tylenol or ibuprofen.</p>
<p>The question is of contagion. Folks whose fever has broken for a full 24 hrs without meds are no longer considered contagious and may return to school/work.</p>
<p>Parents should also remember that kids can still get mono or a normal cold/sinus infection. If your student gets sick and their school is not in an outbreak they should get checked out to rule out other illness.</p>
The CDC website is the most up to date scientific information available to the public. I would believe it before a media report. Reporters are not scientists.</p>
<p>If you or your child gets sick - I would monitor their temperature with a thermometer. I normally do that anyway for my kids.
Of course the degree of fever is not necessarily indicative of the severity of illness. Many kids runs very high fevers with a cold and some will run low grade fever (100.5) with meningitis. I would consider anything over 100 deg a fever.</p>