NO CSUSM STUDENTS, FACULTY OR STAFF HAVE REPORTED SYMPTOMS OF CONCERN AT THIS TIME.

California State University San Marcos has a pandemic influenza plan in place, and in coordination with Student Health and Counseling Services, and the Department of Emergency Management, the campus is closely monitoring the developments regarding Swine Flu.

How do I Know if I have Swine Flu?

The CDC recommends that patients with influenza like illnesses (ILI) which is defined as temperature higher than 100ºF orally plus other symptoms such as:

  • Headache
  • Muscle ache
  • Cough
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Sore throat
  • Fatigue
  • And rarely, stomach symptoms such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

If you are suffering from these symptoms, stay home.  Students should call Student Health & Counseling Services at (760) 750-4915 for an evaluation and instructions on how to care for yourself and reduce spreading the infection to others. Faculty and staff should contact their healthcare provider. 

WHAT CAN YOU DO to Stay Healthy?

  • Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Throw the tissue in the trash after use.
  • Wash hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

The San Diego Health Department and the CDC strongly encourage patients presenting with influenza-like illness (ILI) to stay home from work or school and limit contact with others if they are symptomatic, except to receive treatment for severe illness or to address life threatening emergencies.

Strongly Recommend Home Isolation of Cases:

  • Persons who develop influenza-like-illness (ILI) (fever with either cough or sore throat) should be strongly encouraged to self-isolate in their home for 7 days after the onset of illness or at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer. Persons who experience ILI and wish to seek medical care should contact their health care providers to report illness (by telephone or other remote means) before seeking care at a clinic, physician’s office, or hospital. Persons who have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or are believed to be severely ill should seek immediate medical attention.
  • If ill persons must go into the community (e.g., to seek medical care) they should wear a face mask to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in the community when they cough, sneeze, talk or breathe. If a face mask is unavailable, ill persons needing to go into the community should use a handkerchief or tissues to cover any coughing.
  • Persons in home isolation and their household members should be given infection control instructions: including frequent hand washing with soap and water.Use alcohol-based hand gels (containing at least 60% alcohol) when soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty. When the ill person is within 6 feet of others at home, the ill person should wear a face mask if one is available and the ill person is able to tolerate wearing it.

Regarding Household Contacts:

    * Household contacts who are well should:
         1. remain home at the earliest sign of illness;
         2. minimize contact in the community to the extent possible;
         3. designate a single household family member as the ill person’s caregiver to minimize interactions with asymptomatic persons.

MEXICO TRAVEL ALERT
The State Department has issued a Travel Alert recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico (Mexico Travel Alert) because of the outbreak of flu in that country.  Based on this Travel Alert, all University related trips to Mexico (including informal student organization activities) should be cancelled at this time. For any questions, please contact your division vice president or the dean of students.

CDC's notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico.  CDC provides recommendations for those who must travel to an area that has reported cases of swine flu, and recommends measures to take following return from an area that has reported cases of swine flu.  The complete CDC notice can be found at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/.

We recommend that the campus community follow the above recommendations at this time.  Updates will be provided as needed.

Handouts for CSUSM Students and Community (PDF):

Resources on Swine Flu update:

Center for Disease control:http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
Swine Flu for Educators Blog: http://swineflueducation.wordpress.com/
APA Help Center: "Managing Your Anxiety about Swine Flu"

View: CSUSM Pandemic Influenza Plan
View: CSUSM Pandemic Preparedness Procedures

VIEW VIDEO: California's Governor Holds Press Conference Regarding State Response to Swine Flu