Flu Guidelines for Students and Parents

Students who have flu-like symptoms (fever over 100° F and upper respiratory symptoms) need to self-isolate until 24 hours after being free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. They should also contact the Health Center (or their own doctor) about their symptoms. The Health Center will notify the Office of Student Affairs who will then notify the student’s professors of their absence. If a student sees a doctor outside of the on-campus Health Center, they will need to bring in a doctor’s note to the Office of Student Affairs once they are no longer contagious.

Since H1N1 is no worse than seasonal flu, it is not necessary for students to seek medical care for testing or treatment unless they have underlying health conditions that put them at high-risk for complications.

Persons at high-risk for severe disease include:

• Pregnant women
• Persons on immunosuppressive medication for any reason
• Persons with chronic cardiac, neurological, metabolic, hematological, pulmonary diseases, including asthma

In case of emergency, on-campus students should call Campus Security at 970.209.1020. Students who live off-campus Gunnison Valley Hospital Emergency Room at 970.641.1456 (individuals are responsible for payment at facilities off campus).

Students 18 years and older must sign a release of medical information before we can legally speak to their parents regarding their medical condition.

We advise those with flu to identify and ask a friend to serve as his or her “Flu Buddy.”

Your Flu Buddy should be:

1. Available to check on you.
2. Someone who can assist with getting you food, medications, etc.
3. Someone who can help you disinfect common living areas as needed.
4. Someone your health care provider can contact for follow-up if you cannot be reached via phone.
5. Someone who can call your health care provider, if concerns arise.
6. Someone who can help you obtain assignments for missed classes

Follow the same procedures as reporting any absence, but make sure to notify the Office of Student Affairs if you live on campus and you will need any assistance getting meals or homework. We will do our best to coordinate with Residence Hall Advisors and Directors.

Students who are not sick but have a roommate who has the flu or flu-like illness can contact their resident adviser or resident director to be moved to a temporary residence hall room.

Please note that roommate exposure risks may have occurred as early as 24 hours prior to onset of symptoms. Infectivity may continue to some degree for up to seven days. Infectivity tends to peak during the most symptomatic days of illness. The virus may survive up to two to eight hours on surfaces but is easily killed with soap and water or household disinfectants. However, the primary transmission is through respiratory droplets from close (3-6 feet) contact coughing or sneezing. Utilizing social distancing, masks and cleaning surfaces should reduce transmission rates.