Weill Cornell Medical College

When should I seek medical care?

If you have severe illness or you are at high risk for flu complications, contact your health care provider or seek medical care. In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• sudden dizziness
• confusion
• severe or persistent vomiting
• flu-like symptoms which improve but then return with fever and worse cough.

"Risk Group" individuals who should consult with their health care providers with the onset of flu-like symptoms, or following recent close contact with someone who has the flu include:

• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, including:
  • Asthma
  • Diabetes
  • Suppressed immune systems (including HIV)
  • Heart, kidney, lung or liver disease
  • Neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders
• Pregnant women
• Adults 65 years and older
• Children younger than five years old

Your health care provider will determine whether flu testing or treatment to prevent illness is needed.

How do I prevent and treat the flu?

Federal, state and local public health officials recommend common-sense precautions, including the three steps outlined below to fight both seasonal and H1N1 flu.

• Get yourself vaccinated!
  • Seasonal Flu Vaccination: See "Who at WCMC should be vaccinated?" and "Where can I get vaccinated?" below for more information on seasonal flu vaccinations.
  • H1N1 Flu Vaccination: A new vaccine against 2009 H1N1 against 2009 H1N1 will be available soon for prevention of H1N1 infection. H1N1 vaccination information will be communicated when more information is available.
• Take everyday preventive actions
  • Stay home when you are sick.
    CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. This means avoiding normal activities, including work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings. Isolating yourself if you have influenza-like illness protects others in the community, especially those at higher risk for influenza complications. Contact your supervisor to inform him or her that you will not be coming to work.
  • Cover your mouth and nose.
    Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
  • Clean your hands.
    Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hands cleaners, such as Purell, especially after you cough or sneeze.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
    Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
  • Avoid close contact.
    Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Close contact is defined as a distance of up to approximately 6 feet. Studies of respiratory infections show that when infected persons cough or sneeze, large droplets can settle on the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tracts of susceptible persons who are near infected persons (within about 6 feet). When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
• Take flu antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them
  • If you get seasonal or H1N1 flu, antiviral drugs can treat the flu.
  • During the current pandemic, the priority use for influenza antiviral drugs is to treat severe influenza illness and people who are sick who have a condition that places them at high risk for serious flu-related complications. Consult your doctor for more information.

Who at WCMC should be vaccinated?

All Students, Faculty, and Staff are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated against seasonal and H1N1 flu. In light of the impending seasonal flu vaccine shortage and uncertainty regarding availability of H1N1 vaccine, any college employee who isn't vaccinated against seasonal flu should do so as soon as possible. There is supply of seasonal flu vaccine available at Workforce Health & Safety. We will let you know when H1N1 vaccine becomes available. Students should refer to correspondence from Student Health Service for seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine availability.

Where can I get vaccinated?

• Vaccinations are available for students through Student Health Service.
• Faculty and staff vaccinations are available at all Workforce Health & Safety clinic and on-site locations.

What proactive steps can WCMC students, faculty, and staff take?

• Talk to your supervisor and colleagues about ways to minimize disruptions your absence would cause and explore with your supervisor the possibility of cross-training with co-workers so that vital functions can continue in your absence.
• Review Sick Leave, Paid Time Off, and Family and Medical Leave policies and your sick leave and other paid time off balances.
• Develop plans with your family and household members to address household matters if you or they develop influenza-like illness and have to remain at home.
• Supervisors should develop plans to manage the workplace, including cross-training of staff, so that vital office functions can continue if you or your staff become ill.
• Ask your instructors about attendance policies and procedures for making up assignments or exams if you become ill.

Should I come to work if I have an ill family member at home with seasonal or 2009 H1N1 flu?

Employees who are well but who have an ill family member at home with seasonal or 2009 H1N1 flu can go to work as usual. These employees should monitor their health every day, and take everyday precautions including washing their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. If they become ill, they should notify their supervisor and stay home.

Can influenza survive on surfaces?

Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for 2 to 8 hours after being deposited on the surfaces. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a doorknob, elevator button or countertop, and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands. Several chemical germicides, including chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, detergents (soap), iodophors (iodine-based antiseptics), and alcohols are effective against human influenza viruses if used in proper concentration for a sufficient length of time. For example, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. The gels should be rubbed into hands until they are dry.