TCC Preparedness: H1N1 ("Swine") Flu Information

A Message from Deborah M. DiCroce, President, to the College Community

Colleagues:

I write to provide an update on the H1N1 (formerly "swine") flu outbreak and the precautionary steps the college is taking to address it.

To date, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has reported three confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in the Commonwealth-the third and a suspected fourth case are in students at Washington and Lee University in Lexington. All four individuals are described to have had mild illnesses; each is on the mend, and none has had to be hospitalized. The VDH and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) websites provide daily updates on the numbers of cases in the state and across the U.S., respectively.  They also provide a wealth of other information about the H1N1 virus and its effects and about caring for those who may become sick.

According to a recent VDH press release: "Symptoms [of H1N1 influenza] are similar to those of seasonal flu and typically include fever, cough and sore throat. Additional symptoms may include headache, chills, fatigue and body aches. Persons with H1N1 influenza are contagious for up to seven days after the onset of illness and possibly longer if they are still symptomatic."

Both the CDC and VDH recommend these simple steps to reduce the risk of becoming sick:

1. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

4. Try to avoid close contact [less than 6 feet] with sick people.

5. Stay home if you are sick for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer. This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

Which brings me to what we are doing at TCC in response to the flu outbreak.

Since the news of the outbreak early last week, the Executive Staff and I, as well as our directors of Emergency Preparedness and Safety & Security, have been very closely monitoring the situation.  We are using the information resources of the VDH and CDC, as well as those of the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) and each of the localities we serve.  As importantly, we have conducted an extensive review of the college's Continuity of Operations (COOP) Plan and, this week, will convene our COOP Team for a precautionary planning session.

In the immediate, we are implementing a number of precautionary measures designed to help you and our students reduce the likelihood of becoming sick:

1. Beginning Monday, 147 hand-sanitizing stations will be distributed across the college in public locations. These stations dispense an alcohol-based gel cleanser without the need to touch the station.

2. Canisters of sanitizing wipes will also be distributed to offices across the college-these should be used to clean surfaces that might be contaminated by someone's sneezing or coughing on them or touching them after coughing or sneezing.

3. Custodial Services staff are cleansing surfaces that are frequently touched by numerous individuals, such as wall light switches and door knobs, on a nightly basis.

4. Campus staff will implement a regimen of frequent cleaning of publicly available computing stations-their keyboards, mice, and monitors.

We will also begin daily monitoring of employee and student absentee rates to help identify any operational impact the H1N1 flu outbreak may be having on the college community.

Should you have additional suggestions for consideration, please communicate them to Vice President Dunn who has responsibility for the college's Emergency Management and Continuity of Operations functions.

In summary, I reiterate three essential points:

1. The planning and measures we are implementing are precautionary-they should not be taken as reason for alarm-they are what you would expect the college to do in this situation.

2. The best protection we have to reduce the risk of infection is to be mindful of good hygiene procedures and practice them consistently.

3. If you are sick, stay home-remember that you are considered to be infectious for 7 days after the onset of symptoms. The CDC website offers advice on how to take care of yourself and others.  It also provides information on symptoms that indicate a need for immediate medical attention.

To keep you current on this evolving situation and our response to it, a "Swine Flu" link will go live on the college's website tomorrow.

Let me know if you have any questions.

With best regards.

Debbie

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