Hofstra Prepares for Swine Flu

Hillary Haye

Final Project

May 12, 2009

Hofstra University issued a Swine Flu Health Advisory, Tuesday, as United States officials declared a public health emergency causing confusion on campus as to how worried students should be.

Lisa Nwankwo, 20, like many other college students was supposed to go to Mexico on spring break. She was warned about conflict in the country and says "Maybe the conflict in Mexico kept other college kids from going to Mexico too, and it kept the swine flu outbreak from being bigger than it is."

Allison Klamkin, 20, read the advisory and only one day later became increasingly worried about her own risk of getting the virus while in Times Square when she saw two girls, who appeared to be visiting from outside the United States wearing surgical face masks.

Students have been warned, but how many are actually taking the necessary precautions to protect themselves, especially since there is some confusion on campus about how swine flu may be contracted?

Chris Bertely, 21, loves pork and has not stopped eating it because he "does not believe swine flu can be contracted from eating pork." Steven Strauser, 22, also enjoys eating pork, but has "not eaten any pork served by Hofstra food services" since he received the advisory by email

The United States pork industry is pleading for a name change of the "swine flu" because there is no evidence that the virus is spreading with any contact with pigs whether it be eating pork products or working with the animals. Companies and farmers are concerned about the recent decline in pork product sales since the recent outbreak of the virus.

After the national public health emergency was declared following the confirmation of swine flu in the United States, the university is urging students, faculty, and staff to take precautionary measures to avoid spreading influenza around campus.

Klamkin now labels herself a "germophobe" and has been even more cautious when it comes to washing her hands and not coming into contact with anyone who appears to be sick since she saw the Hofstra advisory.

She is doing the right thing to prevent from contracting the virus, according to the advisory following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the New York State Department of Health. The advisory includes "washing your hands often with soap and water, "alcohol-based hand cleansers," "covering your nose and mouth with a tissue or the elbow of your arm when you caugh or sneeze,” and "cleaning things that are touched often at home, work or school" as prevention tips.

Hofstra Health and Wellness Center says that at this time, there are no confirmed swine flu cases at Hofstra.

The updated advisory issued on Thursday, April 30 assures students, faculty, and staff that Hofstra University's management is actively working to prevent an outbreak on campus. A "Flu Preparedness Working Group” which includes members of “Student Affairs, Public Safety, Emergency Management, Human Resources, Health and Wellness Center, External Relations, and the Provost's office" has been established to "develop responses to this evolving situation."

The virus found in the New York students looked identical to the swine flu that killed 152 people in Mexico and has infected more than 2,500.

Health officials and the World Health Organization, however, urges the public not to panic because the cases outside Mexico have been mild.