UA News

The UA's Campus Emergency Response Team Web site includes UA communications about the virus, frequently asked questions and more.

As public concern continues with regard to the H1N1 virus, or "swine" flu, The University of Arizona's Campus Emergency Response Team has made available on its Web site information on the virus, including UA-specific communications, a list of frequently asked questions, and links to tips for flu prevention and treatment.

The site includes a posting of the UA's pandemic response plan, as well as links to pertinent information released by the Pima County Health Department, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other agencies.  

Currently, the UA is following stage two on the six-level campus pandemic response plan, Campus Health Director Harry McDermott told members of the Faculty Senate on Monday during an update on the UA's response to the virus.

The World Health Organization has raised its flu alert to phase five of six on its own scale. Should it declare a level-six pandemic, McDermott said the UA would move into stage three and four of the campus plan, which provides, in part, for regular communication with the Pima County Health Department and an assessment of inventories of public health supplies, such as masks and hand cleansers.

WHO considers three factors in declaring an illness a pandemic, McDermott said: that a virus is novel, or never before seen; that it is easily transmitted from human to human; and the breadth of people affected. The declaration does not necessarily relate to how deadly the virus is, McDermott said.

"It's looking like this is a seasonal kind of flu rather than anything deadly," he said.

In a statement released Tuesday, the Pima County Health Department reported 10 confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in the county

Two deaths have been attributed to swine flu in the United States. The first was an infant who came to the United States for treatment from Mexico, where the initial virus outbreak occurred. The second, a 33-year-old Texas woman who died Tuesday, was the first American death. Each year, 36,000 Americans die of regular, seasonal influenza.

All campus departments were asked last week to submit updated Continuity of Operation Plans outlining how their unit would operate during a pandemic or other emergency. Those plans are updated and on file now, UA Police Department Cmdr. Brian Seastone, the UA's manager of emergency preparedness, said during the Faculty Senate meeting. 

As campus officials continue to monitor the situation, University community members are encouraged to sign up for UAlert, an emergency text messaging service designed to keep campus updated in the event of a crisis.