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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

MCC and H1N1


According to the American College Health Association, H1N1 is making its way across college campuses throughout the country. For the week ending September 18, 243 colleges and universities reported approximately 7,700 new cases of H1N1, with the highest rate of infection in the southeast. I am writing today to update you on MCC’s efforts to keep our college community healthy and meet the educational promises that we have made to our students.

Our primary concern is the health of the entire MCC community.  And to this end, our efforts to date have focused on education and prevention.  Hand sanitizing stations and disinfecting wipe stations are located throughout the college. We are making it easier for departments to help employees stay healthy through the purchase of tissues and hand sanitizer. Seasonal flu clinics are underway for both students and employees. (I have had my vaccination and encourage you to consider getting yours at the employee clinics on
October 6 and October 7.) Through print and electronic communications to employees and students, we are reinforcing healthy habits: frequent hand washing, sneezing into a tissue or your sleeve, and self-isolating if you exhibit influenza-like symptoms. If we all take seriously our responsibility to be good public health citizens, we will minimize the impact of H1N1 on our college community.

Donna Mueller—whose good counsel has been so helpful—tells me that H1N1 symptoms can present themselves rapidly, so we need to be ready for students, employees, and guests whose flu-like symptoms make it inadvisable for them to drive. To that end, we are readying isolation rooms on the Brighton and Damon City campuses where any ill person can rest, receive aid, and be monitored while awaiting a ride from a family member or friend.  These rooms will be activated only when we see high instances of flu-like symptoms. In the very near future, our Public Health Emergency Planning Committee will be sharing details with you about these isolation rooms.

There is little doubt that H1N1 will appear on our campuses; in fact, some MCC students have already presented with flu-like symptoms and are appropriately self-isolating. With good planning, patience, and flexibility, we will ride this wave with minimal disruption to our operations and to our students’ learning—and fewer cases of the virus.

Thank you once again for your assistance.

Anne M. Kress
President
09/28/2009