Emory Offers Voluntary Quarantine to Students with H1N1
Decatur Metro | September 2, 2009From this morning’s AJC…
Emory University has moved about 50 students with swine flu into a separate dorm, where they are not attending classes and school workers are delivering food to them, officials said.
“The idea is to keep them separate from the other students while they recover,” Emory spokesman Ron Sauder said.
That dorm on the Druid Hills campus had been left open at the beginning of the school year.
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Really? Even though the swine flu is probably less dangerous than seasonal flu? Are they going to open up a ward for those suffering from the common cold, too?
I’m sure “sick dorms” would have had their benefits with ordinary flu in previous years, but they were not a high priority when flu cases occurring were at an average rate. Schools are erring on the cautious side because of the public fear of the novel H1N1 flu. While it’s true that novel H1N1 doesn’t (yet) seem to be any more serious than regular flu (which is not a cakewalk itself), it might cause more than the usual number of cases on a campus because that most of that population lacks any immunity to it. I imagine that, eventually, most of us will have immunity to novel H1N1. The question is whether we have an enormous caseload all at once, or dampen the spread so that it occurs over years, not weeks.
While the overall mortality of H1N1 doesn’t seem higher than the seasonal flu, those who are dying from it are typically younger than with “regular” flu. The biggest risk seems to be in the 20 – 40 year old range, especially in those with underlying medical problems. The theory is that older adults developed immunity during an earlier flu pandemic with a similar strain.
The bigger concern, however, is how wide spread the infection is (potentially) going to be. Some estimates are for as much as 30 – 50% of the US population contracting H1N1 this season. This is why steps are being taken to slow the spread, though I am not sure how successful they will be.
As one of the Emory students quarantined, I would like to comment that: 1) As it was presented to me, being placed into quarantine is entirely voluntary. I chose to be quarantined because it is quite convenient to not have to walk to the cafeteria for food, and because I did not want to get my roommate sick. 2) Although H1N1 is less severe than the common flu, it has been spreading very rapidly due to a lack of immunity, and a quarantine is sensible because H1N1 actually clears up relatively quickly (3-5 days). Rather than having everybody sick at the same time, this will slow the spread of disease, hopefully long enough for the vaccine to be widely available. 3) The suggested wait time is 24 hours without a fever, not 48.
Hope you feel better soon! If they don’t pamper you all enough over there, just alert Decatur Metro and we’ll come to your rescue!
I’d ask you what dorm you’re in and send over brownies but I’ll bet Emory would prefer you be discreet.
Well, I would posit that it is somewhat disingenious to say it is voluntary. My friend’s son is in the quarantine dorm at Emory and has not officially been diagnosed with swine, just with flu-like symptoms. They won’t let him out of the dorm — or lets just say they strongly suggest he doesn’t come out–until his fever is down for at least 48 hours. Not a good way to start your freshman year!
Sorry, cranky old timer…. it’s also not a good way to start your senior year! And I was quarantined, as well…. they have to suggest you stay, but of course they cannot keep you there. Students are allowed to speak up for themselves.
According to the student newspaper, it may not be so voluntary…?
“As soon as doctors diagnosed her at Student Health Services, Jones was escorted to Harris to pack an overnight bag and then straight to Turman South residence hall, the voluntary quarantine zone for the H1N1 breakout”
More details on life inside—
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=27246
How does that quote show that the quarantine isn’t voluntary?
How are doctors diagnosing the swine flu? Didn’t I hear that they were only doing lab tests to confirm swine flu on patients who had been hospitalized?