Swine Flu Advisory
Converse College is closely monitoring the current swine flu situation. As of April 28th, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has confirmed the probability of two high school students in Newberry having the swine flu virus. There have been other known cases throughout the continental United States; most, if not all, of these cases have occurred in people who have recently traveled to Mexico.
While not wishing to create undue alarm, Converse College wants to educate the campus community about symptoms and how to protect yourself from this potentially dangerous illness.
(From the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control)
This is what we know:
- Antiviral drugs seem to work for swine flu when taken shortly after symptoms begin. In South Carolina, DHEC has a small stockpile of these drugs and will be getting an extra shipment from the federal government within the next few days.
- To fight the spread of the flu virus:
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often.
- Cover your cough with your sleeve, not your hand.
- Stay home if you’re sick.
- Stay away from people who are sick.
- Eat a healthy diet and get plenty of rest.
- It takes from 48-72 hours for symptoms to show up after a person has come in contact with the virus.
- There’s no way to know how long the outbreak will last, but we expect this virus to be around for quite some time.
- There is no evidence that you can get swine flu from eating pork.
- If you start to have symptoms of the flu, call your healthcare provider or your local public health clinic for guidance.
If you do experience sickness, call the Wellness Center at 596-9258 from 8 am-2 pm. If you experience symptoms overnight, it is advised that you wait until the next day to visit the Wellness Center or to visit a local physician because there will most likely be little if any change in your condition during that time, and you can remain in the comfort of your own room rather than enduring unnecessary waits in the Emergency Room.
Travel Advisory: The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the health risks of travel to Mexico at this time due to an outbreak of H1N1 “swine flu.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an April 27 notice recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time. CDC’s notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico.
Important Links
Here are helpful websites for information about the Swine Influenza situation:
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental C