UCF Health Services
UCF Faculty Senate
Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
H1N1 Pandemic Faculty Advisory
Updated: August 17, 2009
Faculty are important partners in UCF’s efforts to address the challenges of the H1N1
(swine) flu pandemic. This document provides information about symptoms, prevention
strategies and other considerations to help you set your classroom policies related to the
H1N1 virus.
Information
The H1N1 pandemic currently is at level 6 (highest) and has a virulence
level of 2 (highest is 4). The average age of the H1N1 patient is 20.
Many of our students have already been diagnosed with the H1N1
(swine) flu, and we could have thousands more. Most patients have
experienced mild to moderate cases, do not require medical care, and
have recovered within seven days. UCF Health Services is meeting
regularly with local and state health departments and monitors the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updates on
information and vaccine availability.
UCF cannot quarantine individuals or groups. Faculty members cannot
bar students from a class. Faculty can encourage students to see a
health provider if experiencing the symptoms listed in that section below
and recommend that they isolate themselves.
Whether ill students and faculty have “W” or face-to-face classes, the flu
will impact their ability to attend class during the week they are ill.
Instead of the normal 5-10% of your class being out, you may have 2550% of your class out with the flu sometime over the course of the
semester. It could be a rolling 10-25% or more at multiple times during
the course, or all at once. However, since this is a short-term illness, it is
unlikely that a student would need to miss enough classes to necessitate
withdrawal or long-range accommodations in a full semester course.
For continuing updates:
Health Services www.hs.sdes.ucf.edu
Orange County Health Department www.orchd.com
Centers for Disease Control www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu or www.flu.gov
Prevention
Strategies
Prevention of transmission of H1N1 is the same as for many
communicable illnesses.
Stay away from others with flu-like symptoms. Flu is thought to
spread mainly person-to-person in respiratory droplets of coughs and
sneezes and when a person touches these droplets.
Wash your hands thoroughly several times a day and use alcoholbased hand sanitizers when available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Individuals who have flu-like symptoms have a major responsibility in
preventing transmission to others.
If you have flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends you
“remain at home until at least 24 hours after [you] are free of fever
(100 degrees F, 37.8 C) or signs of a fever without the use of feverreducing medications.”
Discuss with department members and students that anyone who
experiences flu-like symptoms should stay home to prevent infecting
others. They are protecting you and others with whom they may have
contact. This may necessitate missing meetings or classes.
Currently no vaccine is available for the H1N1 virus. According to
the CDC, a vaccine should be available sometime this fall. UCF
Health Services anticipates having the vaccine in October. It will be
a two-phase vaccination, two to three weeks apart.
Note: Faculty and staff will be able to receive both the standard flu
and H1N1 flu vaccines at Health Services.
Symptoms
According to the CDC, “the symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to those of
seasonal flu, including fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing.
Some people have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea.”
You or your students may wish to seek medical attention if experiencing
 Difficulty breathing or chest pain
 Repetitive vomiting and are unable to keep fluids down
 Signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing or absence of
urination
 Decreased responsiveness or increased confusion
Those with H1N1 can infect others for seven days after the onset of
symptoms. During that time, students would expose other students [and
faculty] to the virus if they continue to attend class. The CDC
recommends that “people with influenza-like illness remain at home
until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees F,
37.8 C) or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing
medications.”
Considerations for Faculty Action

We recommend sharing the prevention measures above with all your
students.

People with the flu should be encouraged to isolate themselves from
others. We encourage your consideration of this in setting
deadline, makeup, and attendance policies and in deciding whether
you should teach or call in a substitute.

Most cases of H1N1 do not require medical treatment; many
students with H1N1 will not need to see a doctor (and so will not
have a medical excuse).

Make an alternate plan for class in case you are ill and must stay
home.

You may wish to plan for more technology-supported components for
courses in both the fall and spring semesters. Recording lectures as
podcasts, providing lecture notes or capturing narrated PowerPoint
lectures as videos to put on either your course Web site or the
Knight’s E-Mail’s SkyDrive would allow students to access important
class material. For assistance with these tools, contact the Faculty
Center fctl@mail.ucf.edu. Other tools are listed on the Faculty Center
Web site www.fctl.ucf.edu and at http://teach.ucf.edu/ to learn .

Find out if your department has faculty or staff identified to help put
materials up online quickly.

Remember that associates (including staff) may need to miss work
for your protection.

We also recommend you follow the prevention measures to protect
yourselves.