There's panic surrounding college campuses regarding the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu, that is extremely contagious, especially in close quarters like classrooms and dorms. We've all heard the warnings and most of us try to heed them as well as we can. So what are college campuses doing to ensure the safety and health of their student body?

The Numbers
The American College Health Association (ACHA) estimated a few weeks ago that in just a one-week period nearly 4,000 new cases were reported on college campuses and that 90 percent of 243 campuses reported new cases in that time. The week of November 14, 2009, saw 13.4 cases for every 10,000 students. And out of three million students observed since August, 85,000 have had swine flu.

Action Against H1N1
Each school reacts differently when it comes to matters of their student body. However, they are all working toward a similar goal -- to keep the cases of H1N1 to a minimum on their campuses. 

Schools, like The George Washington University (Washington, D.C.), have been sending out emails to inform its students of how they should proceed should they feel flu-like symptoms. There have been measures put into place that will help students catch up on missed work. The bottom line is that students with these symptoms should not come to class.

Many colleges have been getting both the seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 flu vaccine into their clinics and giving out these vaccines to qualifying students. Because the flu vaccines have been hard to come by in large quantities, many college campuses have limited who first receives the vaccine.

Swine Flu in Isolation
Emory University (Atlanta, GA) set up specific dorms to isolate cases of H1N1 on their campus back in September. Participation in the dorm was on a voluntary basis, but some students checked in right away so that they wouldn't risk infecting others. The dorms are made up of 100 single rooms and gives students the opportunity to rest and get better as quickly as possible so that they may return to their classes.

Small State, Big Fears
Recently, an eighth Rhode Islander lost his battle with the swine flu. Beginning November 30, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) will start to administer the flu vaccine to college campuses throughout the state. Students under the age of 24 will be eligible to receive the H1N1 vaccine in two phases. The first phase will be administered to colleges and universities where many students reside; the second phase will go to those schools that are traditionally commuter campuses.

Clearing Out Closets
The University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT) cleared out areas on their campus to make room for items like 15,000 surgical masks, 28,000 doses each of Advil and Tylenol, fever thermometers, and countless bottles of hand sanitizers. In fact, hand sanitizers have been provided on campuses throughout the country in common areas, such as libraries, study halls, and student centers.

Controlling Swine Flu
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have provided schools, colleges, and universities with specific guidelines to follow in order to ensure a controlled number of cases in young people. Discouraging attendance to class and big events and encouraging self-isolation to those who have been infected are important. Additionally, the CDC also gives guidelines on establishing proper cleaning and hygiene rules and regularly informing students of H1N1 developments and cases. These are just some of the ways the CDC are attempting to help college campuses keep the swine flu under control.

Whether you're attending college, visiting a campus, or just in close quarters in general, it's very important to keep all these rules in mind. Washing your hands frequently and watching for flu-like symptoms are paramount. You don't want to become another statistic in what's been deemed a "pandemic" now do you?

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