Flu Preparedness at TAMU Committee of Senior Business Administrators

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Flu Preparedness at TAMU Committee of
Senior Business Administrators

• Presented by Charley B. Clark
• October 21, 2009

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H1N1 Influenza

• New influenza virus that first caused illness in
  the US in April 2009.
• Spread mainly from person-to-person in droplets
  produced by coughs or sneezes of infected people.
• Symptoms are similar to those of the seasonal
  flu
• Fever or chills AND cough or sore throat
• In addition, other symptoms may include
• Runny nose Tiredness
• Body Aches Diarrhea
• Headache Vomiting
• Most H1N1 cases have been reported as mild to
  moderate and most have recovered quickly and
  completely.

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Current Situation

• 41 states (including Texas) are reporting
  widespread influenza activity.
• 99 of all subtyped influenza A viruses being
  reported to CDC were H1N1.
• Highest number of cases of H1N1 have been
  confirmed among people 5-24 years old.
• There are estimates that H1N1 could infect up to
  half the U.S. population.
• Testing no longer advised in distinguishing the
  H1N1 virus from the traditional seasonal flu.
• Seasonal flu vaccine now available.
• H1N1 flu vaccine has begun to arrive in very low
  quantities anticipated to become more widely
  available in late October to mid-November.
• Still unknown how severe the H1N1 influenza will
  be this fall/winter.

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H1N1 Flu Operations Planning Team

• Established in April 2009.
• Consists of representatives from System
  Headquarters, TAMUG, and across the University.
• Purpose Monitor the outbreak of the H1N1 flu
  and respond in accordance with guidance provided
  by the Centers for Disease Control and
  Prevention, the Texas Department of State Health
  Services, and the Brazos County Health
  Department.
• Broadened to influenza-like illness (ILI).

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TAMU Flu Preparedness

• TAMU has taken measures to reduce the spread of
  the flu
• Hand sanitizer stations have been placed in most
  major buildings on campus.
• Custodial Services has implemented supplemental
  cleaning protocols in highly trafficked areas.
• Supervisors, managers, and faculty members have
  been encouraged to accept documentation other
  than a physician statement of illness.
• Employees written statement of the facts
  concerning the illness
• Students Explanatory Statement for Absence
  from Class for Influenza-like Illness form
  http//shs.tamu.edu/forms/Explanatory20Statement
  20for20Absence20from20Class20for20Influenza-l
  ike20Illness.pdf

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TAMU Flu Preparedness

• TAMU has taken measures to reduce the spread of
  the flu
• Residence Life and the Commandants Office have
  identified housing accommodations for ill
  students, in the event that self-isolation is not
  possible, and/or a student cannot return home.
• Ill students can arrange for a friend to pick up
  food at a dining center by using a Sick Tray
  Request form http//diningservices.tamu.edu/Sick
  _Tray_Request_Form.pdf.
• Residence Hall staff are wiping down common areas
  frequently with disinfectants.
• Two flu shot clinics were held on campus.
• Stop the Spread of Flu flyers have been posted
  in restrooms.
• The campus community is being kept up-to-date on
  the flu through the TAMU website, periodic
  emails, and Aggie Hotline articles.

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Flu Preparedness - TAMUS

• In addition to TAMUs efforts, TAMUS has also
• Reviewed each Members Pandemic Plans.
• Presented each Members flu preparedness to the
  Board of Regents in September.
• Requested that each Member monitor faculty,
  staff, and student absences and provide weekly
  reports on the impact of flu season.

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Best Practices to Stay Healthy

• Practice good hand hygiene.
• Wash hands often with soap and water, esp. after
  coughing or sneezing.
• Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
• Practice respiratory etiquette.
• Cover nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough
  or sneeze. Throw away tissue after you use it.
• If you dont have a tissue, cough or sneeze in
  your elbow or shoulder, not in your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs
  spread that way.
• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu.
• Stay home and limit contact with others if you
  have flu or flu-like symptoms for at least 24
  hours after you no longer have a fever. This
  should be determined without the use of
  fever-reducing medications.

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Best Practices to Stay Healthy

• Follow public health advice regarding school
  closures, avoiding crowds and other social
  distancing measures.
• Find healthy ways to deal with stress and
  anxiety.
• Talk with your healthcare provider about whether
  you should be vaccinated for the seasonal and/or
  H1N1 flu.

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Seasonal Flu Immunizations

• CDC recommends the following groups receive a
  seasonal influenza vaccine
• Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical
  conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other
  long-term facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high
  risk for complications from flu
• Health care workers
• Household contacts of persons at high risk for
  complications from the flu
• Household contacts and out of home caregivers of
  children less than 6 months of age

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H1N1 Flu Immunizations

• H1N1 vaccine will be available to higher priority
  groups initially, with lower priority groups to
  receive vaccine as supplies continue to be made
  available.
• First Priority
• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger
  than 6 months
• Healthcare and emergency medical services
  personnel
• All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
• Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health
  conditions associated with higher risk of medical
  complications from influenza

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H1N1 Flu Immunizations

• If there is a shortage of H1N1 vaccine, the
  following groups are recommended to receive the
  vaccine before others
• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger
  than 6 months
• Healthcare and emergency medical services
  personnel with direct patient contact
• Children 6 months through 4 years of age
• Children 5 through 18 years of age who have
  chronic medical conditions
• Second Priority
• Everyone from ages 25 through 64 years.
• Third Priority
• People over the age of 65.

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How Can Departments Help?

• Encourage immunizations (seasonal and H1N1).
• Promote good hygienic practices.
• Making soap, paper towels, alcohol-based hand
  cleaners, tissues, and no-touch wastebaskets
  readily available.
• Provide disposable wipes so that commonly used
  surfaces can be wiped down prior to each use
  (i.e., chairs, keyboards, phones, etc).
• Use posters, flyers, letters, emails, etc. to
  educate employees and students about flu
  prevention. See CDC toolkit at
  http//cdc.gov/h1n1flu/institutions/toolkit/pdf/In
  stitutionsHigherEducation_toolkit.pdf.
• Advise sick faculty, staff, students to stay at
  home until 24 hrs. fever free (without
  fever-reducing medications).
• Send home those who come to work/class sick whose
  continued presence could potentially create a
  significant risk to others.

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How Can Departments Help?

• Monitor and report employee absences.
• Notify Custodial Services of any flu outbreak in
  a particular building, area, etc. so additional
  cleaning procedures can be implemented.
• Review and update department contingency plans
  including employee home and cell phone numbers.
• Encourage employees (via HRConnect) and students
  (via Howdy) to update their contact information.
• Communicate with vendors who supply critical
  products and services to ensure continuation if
  flu conditions become more severe.
• Review critical processes necessary for the
  continuity of operations in the event of a
  University closure.
• Identify essential personnel.
• Develop a plan for how classes can be continued
  at home if classes are suspended (e.g.,
  eLearning, Centra webconferencing).

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How Can Departments Help?

• For those departments that expect to telecommute,
  survey employees to determine who has the
  capability to work from home. Review whether
  users know how to access the systems from home,
  have the correct software installed, get proper
  training if necessary, etc.
• Consider alternate means of communication such as
  audioconferencing available through
  Telecommunications, Centra webconferencing, etc.
• Work from home resources for faculty, staff, and
  students can be found on http//it.tamu.edu/Work_
  from_Home_Resources.php.

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FAQs

• Can a supervisor require employees to receive flu
  shots? A supervisor may only encourage employees
  to receive flu shots it cannot be mandatory.
• Can a faculty member send a student home if the
  student has flu-like symptoms? A faculty member
  may ask the student to leave class if in their
  judgment their continued presence would create a
  substantial risk to others. However, the student
  is not required to leave class.
• Can a supervisor send home an employee if the
  employee has flu-like symptoms? An ill employee
  may be required to take a leave of absence if in
  the supervisors judgment their continued work
  would create a substantial risk to the employee
  and/or co-workers. Appropriate Texas AM System
  leave regulations and University rules to account
  for leave will be followed.

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FAQs

• What if the employee doesnt have any paid leave
  remaining but misses work due to a flu-like
  illness? Based on a review of the employees
  individual circumstances and job duties,
  additional options may be available such as
  additional paid sick leave and permissible
  flexible work arrangements. Contact HR Leave
  Specialist Jim Kuhlmann or Employee Relations.
• If the flu becomes more severe and high risk
  individuals (employees and/or children of
  employees) are advised to stay home, what type of
  leave should be taken? If possible, find ways
  for employees to continue work from home. If
  work from home is not possible, high risk
  individuals under the care of a doctor may take
  sick leave (a doctors note is required). If the
  high risk individual does not have a doctors
  note advising them to stay at home, annual leave
  should be taken.

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FAQs

• If schools close and parents need to stay home
  with their child, what type of leave should be
  taken? If their child is sick, sick leave may be
  taken. If not, annual leave should be taken.
• Is the leave pertaining to the flu covered by
  FMLA? The flu may constitute a serious health
  condition, provided the circumstances of the
  leave meet FMLA criteria. Among other instances,
  FMLA leave would apply to an eligible employee if
  the employee experiences a period of incapacity
  in excess of three consecutive calendar days and
  receives continuing treatment from a health
  care practitioner. Continuing treatment includes
  more than one visit to a health care professional
  or one visit to a practitioner that includes
  prescribed medication.  FMLA leave may also apply
  if the employee receives hospital inpatient care.

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FAQs

• Who do I contact if I have additional questions
  about employee absences or workplace issues
  related to flu-like illnesses? You are
  encouraged to review the information available on
  the University website at http//www.tamu.edu/emer
  gency/procedures/flu.html. You may also contact
  HR Leave Specialist Jim Kuhlmann at
  jkuhlmann_at_tamu.edu or 862-4971, or Employee
  Relations at employee-relations_at_tamu.edu or
  862-4027 to discuss issues specific to your
  department or individual employees.

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Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• http//www.cdc.gov/
• Texas Department of State Health Services
• http//www.dshs.state.tx.us/
• Brazos County Health Department
• http//www.brazoshealth.org/
• TAMU Flu Webpage
• http//www.tamu.edu/emergency/procedures/flu.html

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Contact Information

• Charley B. Clark, Associate Vice President for
  University Risk and Compliance
• cbc_at_tamu.edu
• 845-1323
• Tammy R. Hoskens, Management Advisor, University
  Risk and Compliance
• thoskens_at_tamu.edu
• 845-0847