what to do If You Have The Flu
Students & Parents FAQs
faculty & staff FAQs

Do You Have A Cold Or The Flu?
It is sometimes difficult to tell if you have a common cold or the flu.  Here are some key points to remember about flu symptoms which may be helpful in determining what is making you sick:

Flu is the sudden onset of:
• Fever (100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C)
• Cough and/or Sore Throat
These main symptoms may be accompanied by:
Chills
Body Aches
Headache
Feeling Tired
Runny or Stuffy Nose
Diarrhea and/or Vomiting ( less common)
If you have these symptoms, you may have the flu.

What To Do If You Think You Have The Flu?

STAY HOME
Do not go to class, work or campus activities
Remain at home until you have been without
a fever for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicines

ADVISE FACULTY
Report your flu like illness to faculty using the H1N1 Flu Reporting System found at
www.canisius.edu/flu

CALL FOR MEDICAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Your health care provider or Student Health (888-2610)
Mon-Fri. 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
or
Afterhours and Weekends
Nurse on Call 1-800-850-4556*
*select option 1 to be connected to nurse

Self Care for Flu (MS Word .docx)

Infection Control - Preventing the spread of flu to others
Flu virus is spread when you cough or sneeze.  Droplets travel to others or land on surfaces that people touch.  Hand washing, keeping your distance and using a face mask help to keep transmission down.
  • Wear a face mask if you leave your room or if a well person comes to assist you.
  • Stay away from people, in a separate room if possible.
  • Use your own bathroom, if possible.
  • Do not spend time in shared areas such as kitchens, family room, etc.
  • Keep your door closed.
  • Have only 1 person help you and tell them to wear a face mask.
  • Cover your cough and sneezes with tissue, discard tissue immediately and wash your hands.
  • After coughing or sneezing use 60% alcohol based hand sanitizer such as Purell, rub hands together until dry or wash well with soap and water.
  • Do not let individuals at high risk for complications if they get flu, such as pregnant women, someone with diabetes, asthma, chronic health conditions, cancer or immune suppressed, help you.
  • Stay 6 feet away from well persons.
  • Open a window in your room, bathroom or shared space, even a little helps with air circulation.
  • Keep surfaces clean by wiping them frequently with a disinfectant wipe or solution.
  • Linens, eating utensils, dishes can be cleaned as usual and do not need to be separated.  Use hot water on dishes, utensils.
  • Wash linens in hot water and dry on hot setting.
  • Do not share food, eating utensils, etc., with others.
  • Do not have visitors.
  • Do not return to school, campus, work, church or community activities until you have been fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medications.
  • Wear mask to come to Student Health Center, the ER or your doctor.
The Student Health Center nurse will contact you each day if you would like.

Tips For Students Who May Have Been Exposed To Someone With An H1N1 Flu Like Illness.
  • If your roommate, classmate or someone on your floor or in your dorm is sick with a flu like illness and you have been in close contact with them ( within 6 feet)  you most likely have been exposed to the virus.
  • Monitor your health closely for the next 7 days.  Check for a fever daily in the morning using a thermometer or at any time if you feel warm or develop chills.
    If you have a fever of 100 degrees F or 37.8 degrees C, stay home and do not attend class, work or campus activities.  Stay at home until you are fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicines such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
  • If you are pregnant, immunosuppressed, or have a chronic health condition such as diabetes, asthma that you are currently taking medicine for, heart, kidney, liver or lung conditions you such notify your health care provider as soon as possible that you may have been exposed. Since these conditions place you in a high risk group for complications if you get sick, your health care provider will advise you on the next steps you should take. If you have one of the above conditions and worry about getting sick, consider staying home from class or out of the residence halls if there are many students sick with flu.  Discuss this with your healthcare provider now
  • Tell the sick person to go home and stay there until they have been fever free for 24 hours without using fever reducing medicines.
  • Sick resident students should go home to be cared for by family, friends or relatives. Resident students sick with a flu like illness who have not gone home to recover, should be directed to contact the Office of Residence Life .
  • Stay 6 feet away from the ill person.
  • If you share a room with a sick student, make sure you separate your beds so there is 6 feet between them.
  • Open a window if possible to keep air circulating.
  • Wear a facemask if you are in close contact with the sick student and recommend the sick student wear a facemask as well when you are in the room.
  • Sick persons should be told to wear a mask if they are using a shared bathroom.
  • The Office of Residence Life has facemasks available. Check with your RA or hall director.
  • Clean shared areas frequently with a disinfecting wipe or spray. This will kill flu virus on surfaces and reduce your risk of exposure. Pay close attention to cleaning shared surfaces such as countertops, doorknobs, keyboards, desks, tables etc.
  • Resident students who permanently reside within driving distance to the campus, should consider going home during peak flu activity on campus and commuting to campus until the flu cases start to decrease.
  • In most cases H1N1 flu like illness is mild in nature and students recover in a few days.
  • Log on www.canisius.edu/flu for additional information about H1N1 flu like illness.