I just got out of a meeting of the College of Arts and Sciences faculty. Among the many topics of discussion was the current epidemic of “Swine” flu caused by the H1N1 virus. Though you’ve no doubt heard plenty about from the media, here’s a few things from the SOU side of things.
- Do your best to guard against infection by frequent hand washing and the use of sanitizer. You will notice a number of sanitizer dispensers placed around campus.
- If you sneeze or cough, do so into a handkerchief or your sleeve instead of your hand.
- If you have a sore throat, a cough, or if you are sneezing or have a fever, stay home! SOU faculty will give you a week of absences without asking for a physician’s note. It’s better you nurse yourself back to health and that you don’t spread whatever you’ve got. For your Hst 250 work, there’s plenty for you to do at home on the Blackboard site.
- Get a shot for the regular “seasonal” flu that comes around every year, and get an H1N1 vaccination as soon as it’s available. Those under 50 years old seem to be the most susceptible to the virus, so plan accordingly.
- This was not mentioned in the meeting, but it’s a big pet peeve of mine: don’t spit in a public place. It is well known epidemiologically that spit is a big spreader of disease. People walk where you spit and then handle their shoes and their food and . . . you get the point. By the way, in the days when tuberculosis was widespread (that is, before the 1960s), public spitting was a crime that carried a pretty high fine. Stop it.
Stay well, do good work, enjoy yourself.
Doc Carney