Pandemic

H1N1 (Swine Flu)

OCCC is working closely with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning the safety of our students, employees and their families. These pages have been created to keep you updated with new information as it becomes available to us.

Novel H1N1 (referred to as "swine flu" early on) virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009 and is spreading from person-to-person worldwide, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a pandemic of novel H1N1 flu was underway. More information about the H1N1 Flu is available on the Center for Disease Control's website.

Since the flu can be spread easily from person to person, we are taking steps to prevent the spread of flu at OCCC for as long as possible, but, we need your help to accomplish this. For now, we are doing everything we can to keep our institution operating as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help:

• Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective.
• Practice respiratory etiquette by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; germs are spread this way.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. A fever is a temperature taken with a thermometer that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius. Look for possible signs of fever: if the person feels very warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering.
• Stay home if you have flu or flu-like illness for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Don't go to class or work.
• Talk with your health care providers about whether you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu. Also if you are at higher risk for flu complications from 2009 H1N1 flu, you should consider getting the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available. People at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 flu complications include pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes). For more information about priority groups for vaccination, visit www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.