The University faces another possible case of swine flu as officials at University Health Services sent an additional positive type A influenza test to state laboratories this week.
The sample was taken from a student living in Moore-Hill Dormitory. The student, who remains unidentified, went to UHS physicians Wednesday complaining of flu-like symptoms. A flu test administered that same day confirmed that the student was infected with type A influenza. Officials at UHS have sent the sample to state laboratories for
further testing.
A positive type A test does not confirm the existence of the H1N1 virus, but since its emergence, UHS officials have sent every positive test to the state for further testing. It is then the state’s responsibility to determine if more testing must be performed to confirm swine flu. Only the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta can confirm swine flu.
This sample will be the fifth sent from UT to state labs. Only one sample tested positive for swine flu, while two other samples were seasonal flu strains and another is pending.
The same night the student was tested, UHS and campus safety officials located the student and everyone the person had been in contact with — including roommates, friends and any other individuals within the student’s social circle — to evaluate their health. All were sent to UHS to receive antiviral medication. The student involved has since been picked up by his parents and no longer resides on campus, said Gerald Harkins, associate vice president of campus safety and security.
“Running around last night trying to find everyone, I thought we had a problem,” Harkins said. “Now, I don’t think we have a problem.”
Sanitation crews entered the dorm last night to disinfect the student’s room. Crews wiped all surfaces including the bathroom and proceeded to “fog” the room with a disinfectant spray.
“We are monitoring the situation asking the people in close contact with the individual to self-isolate themselves,” Harkins said. “I still think we are OK. We handled it as it should have.”
Lauren Meyers, a UT associate biology professor and expert on infectious disease epidemiology, said the likelihood that other students in the residence hall will contract the virus depends on their level of interaction with the infected student and the size of the room where they reside. The smaller the room and the closer the interaction, the greater the chances the virus can spread. But in a dormitory setting where student interactions with one another vary, there is no telling what might happen, she said.
“You don’t want to get sick — the flu is bad, this flu or any flu,” Meyers said. “Right now, we are at a time where we need to be smart and alert.”
Music studies freshman Sabrina Ragland, who lives on the second floor of the dorm, said she believes the media has overblown the swine flu epidemic.
“I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal,” Ragland said. “I’m pretty nonchalant about this one.”
Other students expressed similar concerns.
Business junior Louisa Tao said all she cares about is not having school prolonged anymore than it needs to, preferring to get through her finals with as little interruption as possible.
Harold Wardlaw, a petroleum engineering and Plan II sophomore, said he would not want to know if a student contracted the virus and that he understands why the University did not disclose the location of the dorm in a campus-wide release earlier on Thursday.
“I would rather not know, because if people did, they would panic,” Wardlaw said.
