Swine flu hits campus

Two University at Albany athletes - one men's basketball player and one football player - were treated for the H1N1 virus last week.

"The university knows about it," said UAlbany athletics spokesman Brian DePasquale said. "They have taken the precautions to not have them on campus one way or another. They are being treated and also steps were taken within our athletic department to clean those areas where they may have been so that others do not get in contact with the virus."

DePasquale declined to name the athletes, citing privacy concerns.

Equipment the athletes may have touched was washed and locker rooms were disinfected to avoid spreading the virus. One athlete went to his permanent home and the other to his off-campus residence to recover, DePasquale said.

Last Thursday, University Health Center Medical Director Peter Vellis e-mailed students alerting them of one confirmed case of H1N1 at UAlbany.

University spokesman Karl Lunnta would not confirm whether or not the confirmed case was one of the student-athletes.

Cramped dorm rooms, shared food and a concentrated population make colleges a potential breeding ground for swine flu.

UAlbany plans to combat an outbreak by implementing new policies that will prevent the virus from spreading across campus.

The university also plans to inform students how they can obtain the vaccine when it becomes available to the public this fall.

According to the American College Health Association, 72 percent of the 236 reporting institutions have new cases of H1N1 virus otherwise known as swine flu. New York had 77 new cases during the week of Aug. 29 through Sept. 4. The 236 reporting institutions represent over two million students.

"I believe the university will come down with a few cases, but we are prepared if it does," said Carol Perrin, the associate director of Residential Life.

The Center for Disease Control said that the targeted group to become infected with swine flu is children and young adults from six months old to 24 years old, and people aged 25 to 26 years of age who have significant medical conditions.

The CDC laboratory studies believe that younger people may be more prone to becoming infected because very few adults younger than 60 have existing antibody to the 2009 virus. However, about one-third of adults who are older then 60 may have antibodies against the virus.

The swine flu viruses are spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing. Some people may become infected by touching a surface or object where the viruses are present, which can distribute the viruses to other parts of their body by touching their mouth or nose, according to CDC Web site.

The symptoms of swine flu are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, chills, and fatigue. Many people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting, according to the Web site.

The university's swine flu protocol is mainly focused on student intervention.

If a student develops flu-like symptoms, they are expected to alert their residence director by e-mail or phone.

The university encourages infected students to remain isolated in their dorms until they are without fever for 24 hours.

Meal plans will be delivered to an infected student's dorm room to avoid spreading the virus through food and the dining halls. When contact with others is unavoidable, the student must use a surgical mask provided by the university. If possible, the student should leave the residence halls and go home to recuperate, Perrin said.

If a student is living with an infected individual than it is most likely that they have been infected as well because a person with the swine flu is contagious for 24 hours before they even know they have the virus.

However, to decrease further risk to the roommate they should maintain a distance of six feet from the infected individual, wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their face, Perrin said.

Samantha Avery, a UAlbany junior, is not afraid that there will be a large outbreak of swine flue cases, but she does think that some students may become infected.

"As far as the details of what would happen if a large outbreak occurred, I don't see the university doing much," she said.