You almost never get the flu in September. But we're seeing a lot of flu-like symptoms in UT students, most of whom have H1N1 (the virus formerly known as "swine flu'). Since it is a novel virus - a new strain of the flu for people, we haven't built any resistance yet. So H1N1 is spreading pretty rapidly in the community because it is easy to catch.
The good news now is that H1N1 is a lot milder than expected. It looks a lot like the regular seasonal flu that we're used to. The symptoms we've seen in our clinics are: a fever above 100¡, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, extreme fatigue, and occasionally nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Most people with H1N1 get well in about a week. University Health Services follows the guidelines set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for treating patients with influenza. That means we're not automatically prescribing anti-viral medications like Tamiflu for everyone with flu symptoms. It is important to make sure there is plenty of anti-viral medication in case H1N1 mutates into a more serious illness, and that H1N1 doesn't become resistant to these medications. Students at a higher risk for complications due to an underlying health condition like asthma or diabetes should definitely call us if they get sick. Healthy students who get the flu should get plenty of rest and fluids, treat symptoms as needed, and take precautions to avoid spreading the flu to others. This website has plenty of specific information about how to treat flu symptoms and when to seek medical care.
The bottom line is this: don't panic. The University is tracking the situation carefully and remains committed to keeping students and their families informed. Browse and bookmark this site, and check back for updates.
Sincerely,
Theresa Spalding, M.D.
Medical Director, University Health Services
The number of cases of influenza-like illness diagnosed at UHS each week will be updated every Monday afternoon.
Week |
Number of Primary-Care Patient Visits |
Number of ILI
or Influenza
Diagnoses |
ILI/Influenza Diagnoses as a percent of Primary Care Visits |
|
| 11/08/09 - 11/14/09 |
1,097 |
18 |
1.7% |
|
| 11/01/09 - 11/07/09 |
1,078 |
30 |
2.8% |
|
| 10/25/09 - 10/31/09 |
1,075 |
46 |
4.3% |
|
| 10/18/09 - 10/24/09 |
1,099 |
73 |
6.6% |
|
| 10/11/09 - 10/17/09 |
1,140 |
119 |
10.4% |
|
| 10/4/09 - 10/10/09 |
1,160 |
119 |
10.3% |
|
| 9/27/09 - 10/03/09 |
1,099 |
57 |
5.19% |
|
| 9/20/09 - 9/26/09 |
1,034 |
92 |
8.9% |
|
| 9/13/09 - 9/19/09 |
1,119 |
94 |
8.4% |
|
| 9/06/09 - 9/12/09 |
896 |
93 |
10.4% |
|
| 8/30/09 - 9/05/09 |
1,051 |
133 |
12.7% |
|
| 8/23/09 - 8/29/09 |
861 |
118 |
13.7% |
Please note: these data cannot be interpreted as an accurate total number of cases of seasonal influenza or H1N1 influenza on the UT Austin campus each week. They reflect only the patients seen at University Health Services. They do not include illness in faculty, staff, or students who sought medical care elsewhere or who did not seek medical care at all.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that almost all of the influenza occurring at this time in Texas and in the United States is caused by the H1N1 ("swine flu") virus. Governmental surveillance reports also show that right now, H1N1 is occurring more often among people 24 and younger than typical for seasonal flu.
To learn how UHS is responding to influenza on campus, click the link below.
Influenza FAQs
