Letter to Georgetown Law Students

Updated August 24, 2009

To: All Georgetown Law Students
Fr: Mitchell Bailin, Dean of Students and Dr. James Welsh, Assistant Vice President for Student Health

Dear Students

As we enter the fall semester, we would like to update you on the steps we’ve taken to prepare for possible cases of the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu at Georgetown and remind you of the importance of taking appropriate precautions to stay healthy. The University’s emergency response team has been in touch with federal and local public health officials throughout the summer and been meeting regularly to develop a series of measures aimed at reducing the risk of infection on campus and providing support for those who may become ill.

The H1N1 virus has continued to spread during the summer months. The virus is present in the D.C. metro area, as it is in many areas throughout the United States. This summer we have seen a small number of cases in students both on main campus and at our Georgetown Law London program. Individuals who were ill have fully recovered and are no longer contagious. Medical experts have observed the virus to be highly contagious but in the vast majority of cases relatively mild. But just like any flu virus, the H1N1 can have serious implications for individuals with underlying health conditions. For this reason, we are asking that students take some precautionary measures this fall.

If you currently have the flu and have not yet arrived on campus, please delay your arrival. If you have the flu or are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, we ask you to delay your return to campus until you are fever-free for at least 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication, in accordance with current CDC recommendations. Symptoms of H1N1 influenza include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and in some cases gastrointestinal upset. Students who delay their return into the first week of classes should notify the Office of the Dean of Students at deanofstudents@law.georgetown.edu.

Obtain a non-mercury thermometer. We ask that you use your own, non-mercury thermometer so as to be better able to monitor your own health. We also recommend the use of tissues, hand soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and cleaning wipes to help combat the spread of any potential H1N1 cases on campus.

If you become ill with influenza-like illness once on campus, call the Student Health Center’s H1N1 advice line at (202) 784-H1N1. Should you experience flu-like symptoms after arriving on campus, limit your contact with other people as much as you can and contact Student Health’s H1N1 advice line at (202) 784-H1N1 (4161) as soon as possible. Law students who may need further medical evaluation will be directed to the main campus Student Health Center, located on the ground floor of Darnall Hall, through August 28, and to the Law Center Student Health Center on the lower level of Gewirz starting on August 31. You can also reach a clinician after hours by calling 202-444-PAGE and asking for the Student Health clinician on call. If you are a student who usually receives healthcare from a private healthcare provider in the community, please contact your provider for advice.

Students who are ill with influenza should stay in their rooms, or if living off-campus, at home, until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours.

Get vaccinated for the seasonal flu. The seasonal flu vaccine will be available on campus later in the fall, and we will alert you when you can receive it. We are also working closely with the District of Columbia’s Department of Public Health to distribute the H1N1 vaccine if and when one becomes available.

REMEMBER THE MOST IMPORTANT MEASURES TO AVOID THE FLU:

• Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. The use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an appropriate alternative.
• Always cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and immediately throw the tissue away in a proper receptacle. As an alternative, cough or sneeze into the inside of the elbow.

The university will continue the proactive steps we’ve put in place to limit exposure to both the H1N1 and seasonal flu viruses. When you return to campus, you will find hand sanitizing stations and health information posted around campus aimed at reducing the risk of infection. We will also continue to monitor the situation, remaining flexible to take any additional steps that may be appropriate for the university community.

For more information about the H1N1 virus, including links to the CDC website and the resources available on campus, visit Georgetown’s emergency preparedness website. For those students with special conditions that would place them at high-risk for contracting, or complications from, the H1N1 virus, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website for additional information.

Sincerely,

Mitchell C. Bailin
Dean of Students

James Welsh, MD, MPH
Assistant Vice President for Student Health