Chancellor's Message
Dear Colleagues,
As you know, several people have been diagnosed with an Influenza A strain called H1N1 flu (formerly known as swine flu) in US and Mexico. On April 28, the Indiana State Department of Health announced there is one confirmed case in a young adult in northern Indiana with a mild illness. Indiana University East is monitoring the situation at the campus, in the region, and at the federal level.
I have asked IU East Emergency Response Management Committee to meet (along with colleagues from Ivy Tech, Reid Hospital, and County Health Department) to determine the actions that need to be taken now. This committee will fully cooperate with IU Emergency Preparedness Committee, which is determining appropriate IU response should there be a flu outbreak.
Symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to those of seasonal influenza. These include fever, cough, body aches, and occasionally vomiting and diarrhea. There is no vaccine currently available to protect against this flu. However, there are precautions that can be taken that will help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza.
It’s important to:
- wash hands frequently,
- cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or your sleeve,
- avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and
- stop shaking hands.
Please do not report to work if you have any flu-like symptoms.
- Nasser H. Paydar, Ph. D.
Chancellor
