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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

Boost Your Flu IQ


Knowledge is one of our best defenses against the flu. So every Thursday, the MCC Daily Tribune will tackle your questions about H1N1 flu, the college’s response and preparation for it, and what you can do. Send your questions to <mailto:marcom@monroecc.edu>.

Q:  I’m confused; how is H1N1 transmitted? I keep hearing different explanations.

H1N1 is spread by coming in contact with the respiratory secretions of an ill person. What does that mean? According to the CDC, transmission can occur by breathing in the virus from infected people when coughing or sneezing, and by touching any surface that is contaminated with the virus and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes (i.e. letting the virus enter your body). For this reason, the CDC recommends that you keep a distance of six feet away from ill persons to protect yourself from coming in contact with the virus and becoming ill.

You may have heard that the H1N1 virus is not an airborne illness; that is correct. By definition, airborne illnesses can travel over long distances and maintain their infectious characteristic. H1N1 is not an airborne illness.

A good place to get more information is at the Support Staff Professional Development Committee’s brown bag session, “Dude! What’s with all the hand sanitizer?” The next ones are set for today, Thursday, Oct. 1, noon-1 p.m. and 4-5 p.m., Empire Room, Warshof Conference Center, Flynn Campus Center.

Q: Will the bathrooms and door handles be wiped down with bleach daily (or throughout the day) to help contain the spread?

A:  Restroom surfaces are cleaned with hydrogen peroxide at least once per day. (Hydrogen peroxide is safer and as effective as bleach.) Obviously, the very next person who touches a surface may be spreading H1N1 or seasonal flu, so all of the individual precautions that you’ve heard remain the very best way to minimize your chances of contracting the flu.

Hand sanitizing wipe stations are now placed around the college. These wipes are ideal for wiping down surfaces to minimize the risk of transmission.

Cynthia Cooper
College and Community Relations
10/01/2009