The Lafayette community reaches the downswing of the H1N1 outbreak
Julie Depenbrock
Issue date: 11/6/09 Section: News
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The increased number of confirmed cases was seen at Lafayette College, with a total of 192 members of the Lafayette community down and out by the end of October, and a stream of e-mails alerting the campus of swine-safe procedures.
Director of Health Services and College Physician Jeffrey E. Goldstein said the spike in confirmed cases "[was] certainly not an isolated incident… though our peaks are steeper than those of the general population due to conditions on a college campus conducive to the spread of disease."
The college acquired two forms of H1N1 vaccine. The first, a live attenuated intranasal form (LAIV), is available to any student who requests it. According to a message from Dr. Goldstein, "LAIV is approved for people from two - 49 years of age who are not pregnant and do not have certain health conditions such as lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, or kidney disease."
But the Health Center has a much more limited supply of the inactivated, injectable form of vaccine. Immunizations play an important role in decreasing the incidence of swine flu. In the first three days, 1500 received vaccinations.
The goal, as Dr. Goldstein said, is to gain a significant enough immunity within the greater population that the virus no longer poses a major threat.
"The majority of cases have been mild to moderate…not significantly different from the seasonal influenza…the big difference is in the number of people who get it," Goldstein said.
Despite the flu's relatively mild symptoms comparable to the seasonal flu, the outbreak on campus has caused a great deal of anxiety. When asked whether the epidemic was causing an unnecessary level of panic, Goldstein said, "That fear was reasonable prior to the outbreak. But from what we've seen here on campus, there was perhaps more concern than absolutely necessary."
"A mortality rate skewed towards a younger population is true with any pandemic…the older population is often protected due to the immunity gained from past infections," Goldstein said.
While rumors have circulated that the increase in confirmed cases after homecoming festivities led to a near closing of the school, the epidemic never reached this level. President Dan Weiss confirmed that the school had a closing plan ready, but this is common protocol, as the school has closing strategies prepared for a variety of emergency situations.
"I think we're on the downswing. It's impacted us greatly but, fortunately, we were prepared," Goldstein said. The nursing staff at Bailey Health Center deserves kudos for working at an incredibly hard pace, providing services to the campus community. "Each and every person on the staff has stepped up and sacrificed to deliver a package of quality care," he said. "I hope students truly appreciate the hours we put in."
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