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KEEPING HEALTHY AROUND THE FLU
We know there are many questions and concerns, and here are some answers and guidelines…
(Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; University Health Service)

Know the signs and symptoms of flu. Symptoms include fever of 100.4 F (38 C) or greater, plus cough
or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, chills, headache,
tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting. Most cases of flu (seasonal and H1N1) are mild, and acute symptoms
usual y resolve in 3 to 5 days, although cough may linger.
Avoid close contact with those who are sick. Don’t share food and drinks with others; don’t use
personal items of others who are sick.
Cover your coughs and sneezes. Help keep germs from circulating. Cover your nose with a tissue
when sneezing and dispose of the tissues properly. When coughing, cover your mouth with your arm, not
your hand.

Wash your hands. Washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds often wil help protect you
from germs. You can also use hand sanitizer when you’re not near a sink and soap.
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Keyboards in common computing areas are one way the flu can be transmitted from one person to another. Use a hand sanitizer before and after using a shared keyboard.
Avoid touching your face. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is
contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
What about masks? U-M recommends the use of surgical masks only for those who are sick with the
flu, if they must go out in the public (to see a physician). Masks help to stop the spread of the flu virus by
containing any sneezes or droplets that might spread the virus.
Practice good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physical y active, drink plenty of fluids, manage
your stress and eat nutritious foods.

Get a seasonal flu vaccination. While col ege students are not among those at high risk for the
seasonal flu, the University encourages students to get this vaccine. The Dean of Students Office is
sponsoring a special vaccination clinic at Palmer Commons on September 30 – reservation required –
with a fee. Details at http://www.uhs.umich.edu/fluclinicdos University Health Service wil have seasonal
flu vaccination clinics in October and November, http://www.uhs.umich.edu/fluvaccination

H1N1 vaccination will be available to students. The University plans to offer the vaccination, at no
charge, to al students through age 24. In addition, students over age 25 with CDC-designated risk factors
also wil be offered the vaccine. We believe the vaccine should be ready for distribution in November.
Plans for the H1N1 vaccination clinics are still being developed.
The flu becomes a greater concern for those at higher risk of complications: people of any age
who have chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, HIV disease, immune
deficiency), pregnant women, children under the age of 5 years and people age 65 years and older.
If your roommate is sick with the flu… Ask him or her to wear a mask when you are in the room, and
do your best to keep from close contact. Wash your hands frequently. If you have health conditions that
place you at higher risk for complications from the flu, go to University Health Service for consultation and
possible preventive medication. (Without high risk conditions, UHS will not administer preventive
treatment with Tamiflu.) If you don’t want to stay in the same room with a sick roommate, you may want
to stay with friends until your roommate is better.

U-M information about H1N1 is available at http://www.vpcomm.umich.edu/pa/key/flu-H1N1.html

Your flu-related questions are welcome, please send them to: fluquestions@umich.edu

Source: http://afs.uhs.umich.edu/files/uhsdocs/Keep_Healthy_around_Flu.pdf