Collegiate Times

Seemingly every fall, college students are bombarded with information and mass e-mails on how to protect themselves in the face of the upcoming flu season.

This year is no different.  But it's college students, not elderly adults, who are among the most vulnerable targets of this new strand - the H1N1 virus, informally known as "swine flu."

This particularly nasty variation targets children and young adults, ages 5-25, and can cause such symptoms as dizziness, confusion as a result of possible nerve damage and chest pains - the only factors that distinguish the H1N1 virus from a seasonal flu.

Dr. X.J. Meng, professor of molecular virology, has studied the virus closely and specializes in viruses and diseases that can transfer between animals and humans.

"When the outbreak first occurred in Mexico in April, there was a very high mortality rate of about 6 percent," said Meng. "The death rate for the regular seasonal flu is about 1 in 1000 (0.1 percent)."  

35,000 deaths per year in the U.S. are caused by the flu, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports there are roughly 1,000 deaths per year in Virginia.

"Most of these deaths are usually people who are 65 and older, which makes this virus even more unique with the age group it affects," Meng said.

"For some reason, the young people, ages 18-25 are very susceptible to the virus. A study by the CDC has shown that older people, ages 65 and older, already have an antibody against the H1N1 virus and that's why we're seeing more cases in younger people," Meng said. "We are seeing that this fast-acting immune system is really doing more damage than good when it comes to this virus."

The CDC has reported this year's strand of the H1N1 virus will not be as deadly as they had originally predicted. This is good news for students living on large college campuses that consist of many communal living spaces such as residence halls, dining halls and large lecture halls.

Virginia Tech is not cutting any corners when it comes to taking all of the precautionary steps to preventing an outbreak.

"We put together members of student affairs, the health center and emergency planning services to discuss options," said Larry Hincker, university spokesman. "They have been an intricate part in deciding how the university would react in the event of an outbreak."

The group will assess the problem this flu season might cause and is addressing issues that infected students will face.

"We are speaking with the academic departments in case students are too ill to attend class, and we are urging students to ask roommates to bring back food for them and avoid the dining halls," said Mike Mulhare, director of emergency management.

The vaccine for the H1N1 virus will not be available until mid-September, the start of the flu season. The vaccine will be made available to medical professionals who work with possibly infected patients, pregnant women, people with auto-immune diseases such as HIV, people with chronic asthma and very young children.

"The university will probably not receive the vaccine until around October or November," Meng said. "Students should still receive the seasonal flu shot so it will be very obvious if they have the H1N1 virus, because they are already immunized against the other."

Schiffert has already begun preparations for flu season by preparing flu packages for students who are confirmed to have the virus. These packages include a mask, tissues, hand sanitizers and pamphlets directing proper flu care.

"One of the best ways to fight off the flu is with hand sanitizer and just simple soap and water," Mulhare said.

What is left for health centers now is to wait for the new vaccine's trial results - and its ultimate cost - to be able to purchase the vaccine in bulk and distribute it to the students.