Student Health Center issues swine flue safety message

Dear City College Students, Faculty, Staff and Administrators,

You may have been reading and hearing about the swine flu in the recent weeks. Please know that we have been working closely with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to prepare procedures to follow in an event of a widespread influenza situation.

Some important information for you to keep in mind:

To date, there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in San Francisco.
In ALL influenza cases, prevention is the best policy.

There is no need to overreact and alarm yourself and others. If the situation impacts the City College of San Francisco community, we will keep you updated.

Some of these procedures will help you stay healthy.

1. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough and discard tissue immediately.
2. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your clothing.
3. Wash your hands often with soap and water after sneezing and coughing. Use alcohol-based hand cleaners if you do not have access to water.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth to prevent the spread of germs.
5. Avoid close contact with ill people.
6. If you have flu like symptoms, the Center for Disease Control recommends that you limit your contact with others by staying home from work or school. This is to decrease the spread of illnesses.
7. Get the flu vaccine. Being vaccinated may help differentiate the regular seasonal influenza from the swine flu.

You should see a health care provider if you develop influenza-like-illness symptoms of high fever, sore throat and severe body aches seven days after you have

*  traveled to Mexico.
*  if you lived or traveled to San Diego or Imperial County in California and/or Guadalupe County in Texas.
*  if you were in contact with persons who had respiratory illness with high fever  and have recently been to Mexico, San Diego or Imperial County in California or Guadalupe County in Texas.

Please stay CALM, use good logic, get evidence based information from sites such as the CDC. Follow good preventive procedures such as a balanced diet, exercise and adequate sleep. If possible avoid crowds.

Keep well.

Sunny Clark
Associate Dean & Clinic Director
City College of San Francisco
Student Health Services & District Public Health
50 Phelan Ave. (HC100)
San Francisco
CA 94112
Phone: (415) 452-5384
Fax: (415) 239-3193