The UC Davis administration issued the following letter Friday (Aug. 14) to update the campus community on the university's response plan for H1N1 influenza.

UC Davis has long recognized the importance of emergency preparedness and is committed to protecting the safety, health and wellbeing of our campus community.

In June 2009, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a pandemic—a global outbreak—of a new influenza virus. This virus, also referred to as “swine flu,” emerged in April 2009 and has since spread worldwide, including here in our region. We have already had confirmed cases among both staff and students and expect to have more.

We’d like to make you aware of on- and off-campus resources available to help you better understand this virus, make informed decisions to keep yourself healthy and help your department manage the potential effects of a large-scale H1N1 influenza outbreak on our campus.

Campus resources

Updates on H1N1 flu for the UC Davis community, including links to planning and guidance documents.

Academic and administrative departments are urged to begin making plans to be prepared should excessive absenteeism occur and to anticipate how that might affect operations. UC Ready, the new university business continuity tool, can help.

Information from Student Health Services regarding H1N1.

The Office of Emergency-Continuity Planning distributes updated information on a weekly basis. Join the unit's e-mail list here.

General information

Public health agencies are your best source for the most up-to-date facts and advice about:

• How best to protect yourself from H1N1 (swine) flu.

• What symptoms to look for.

• What to do if you think you may have the flu.

• What to do if you think you may have been exposed.

Recommended sites

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Novel H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) and You

UC Davis Medical Center

California Department of Public Health

Telephone hot line

The California Department of Public Health operates a toll-free information line at (888) 865-0564 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Preventing the flu

The UC Davis administration is urging all staff and faculty to contact their primary care physicians about receiving both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines.

Student Health Services has already started offering the seasonal flu vaccine to students who visit the Health Center, regardless of the reason for their visits. And Student Health Services is working with Student Housing about the possibility of administering vaccines to incoming residence hall students at the housing locations next month.

Meanwhile, you can help avoid the spread of H1N1 flu—and other infectious diseases—by following CDC guidelines for keeping healthy. No single action will provide complete protection from H1N1 influenza, but an approach combining the following steps can help decrease the likelihood of transmission.

• Stay home from work or class when you are sick.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

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

• When you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and throw the tissue away after you use it. Alternatively, cough or sneeze into clothing -- i.e. your sleeve rather than your bare hands.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs and viruses spread that way.

The H1N1 influenza is a matter of concern and widespread attention. As part of the campus comprehensive emergency program, we have been preparing for the possibility of a public health emergency for a number of years and are vigilant in keeping abreast of the situation as it unfolds.

Your questions and concerns can be addressed to the campus Office of  Emergency-Continuity Planning: prepare@ucdavis.edu.

Other resources

UC Davis "Avoid the Flu" poster

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brochure: CDC Says "Take 3 Steps" to Fight the Flu