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KU Hotline: 5473
E-mail: h1n1@ku.edu.kw
Swine flu is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory system in human beings. It is caused by a type A influenza virus (H1N1), which differs from regular influenza viruses in terms of the rate of spread, severity of symptoms and potential complications.
The symptoms are sudden. Patients start to feel tiredness, fatigue, fever, aches of the muscles, joints, eyes and throat, cough and vomiting within hours.
The first swine flu cases were discovered in Mexico in April 2009. The disease has then spread gradually throughout the world leading the World Health Organization to set the pandemic alert to level at phase 6. The first cases in the State of Kuwait were discovered in May 2009. Most of the 3000 cases reported so far have recovered with a mortality rate of less than 1% among those suffering chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity circulatory and respiratory diseases and pregnant women.
The concerns of the health authorities are due to the possibility of a virus mutation that may cause a higher spread rate and severity of the virus, which did not happen so far.
The virus spreads through droplets from coughing and sneezing, touching contaminated hands and surfaces as well as hugging and kissing. World Health Organization has therefore recommended people to avoid crowded places, follow hand washing guidelines and use tissues to cover the nose and the mouth when coughing and sneezing. WHO also recommended patients to self-isolate themselves and to avoid gatherings. Healthy persons may be given the vaccine.
The vaccine is expected to be available in the State of Kuwait by October 2009 in limited quantities. The categories to be vaccinated are not yet decided, though they are expected to include pilgrims, high risk patients, young people between 2 years and 46 years of age.
The disease is treated with Tamiflu which comes in the form of tablets or syrup. It is given for 7 days during which most of the cases start to recover with symptoms and fever beginning to resolve.
Proposed by the Higher Follow-up Committee
on the Impacts and Preparations against H1N1
To protect the students, faculty and university personnel and to educate them about H1N1 flu; and to ensure that university centers are pandemic free for the sake of a smooth running of the teaching process.
• Liaise with official health authorities in the State of Kuwait (Ministry of Health) to keep informed of any changes in the spread and severity of the pandemic as well as the prevention measures, treatment and availability of the vaccine.
• Liaise with senior university management decision makers to provide them with disease-related information and to report regularly any cases discovered on campus and their effect on university academic activities.
• Communicate with the students, faculty and administrative staff regarding the precautionary plans to prevent the spread of the disease, preventive measures and the reasons for postponing or suspending extra activities.
• Liaise with service providers at Kuwait University (security, catering, cleaning and maintenance contractors) and involve them in the educational and precautionary programmes and the safety and hygiene measures relevant to their services.
• Review the sick leaves and warning systems taking into consideration the need of students who were absent because of the disease for reset exams.
• Review personnel administrative procedures such as the fingerprints and permission systems without prejudice to the appropriate required procedures.
• Flexibility of the documentary cycle of supply cleaning and disinfection materials.
• Flexibility of the pandemic prevention plan in terms of amendments in case of any potential spread or decline of the crisis based on information from the official authorities and the situation on university campuses.
The implementation of the strategic plan to control the spread of H1N1 flu on campus requires the provision of necessary materials and instruments such as disinfectants, antiseptics, waste containers and wet tissues in quantities more than those provided by the university under normal circumstances. The plan also requires equipping the clinics, training paramedics and nursing staff and preparing isolation rooms. In addition, financial provisions have to be made available to create a website and provide posters and handouts on the subject.
Controlling any pandemic requires sharing the responsibilities and cooperation among all concerned parties in the Kuwait University. Aware of its responsibility towards the safety of the thousands of its students and staff; and taking into consideration the concerns regarding the spread of the disease, the University Administration may decide to postpone or suspend some student activities, as required and on the basis of reasonable and objective reasons.
To be implemented under the current circumstances
depending on the situation and nature of the disease.
H1N1 flu is transmitted through hands and surfaces contaminated with the virus and through sneezing droplets.
• Provide antiseptic liquids and encourage everybody to wash and clean their hands.
• Provide wet tissues in lecture halls and encourage the students to use them to clean common-use equipment and instruments.
• Provide liquid soap and enough tissues in all bathrooms.
• Provide special waste containers in all corridors and empty or change them in the proper manner.
• Educate the students, faculty and all other personnel regarding hand washing guidelines using illustrative materials such as signs, posters and handouts.
• Educate the students residing in university hostels on cleaning common-use equipment and instruments before using them.
• Encourage the students and university personnel to follow proper sneezing etiquette, use tissues to cover the nose and mouth and to dispose of used tissues in the special containers.
• Routine and frequent cleaning of meeting, lecture and computer halls during the day.
• Repeated cleaning of bathrooms.
• Create a website dedicated to Kuwait University H1N1 Campaign against swine flu.
• Prepare handouts and posters highlighting the symptoms, transmission and prevention of the disease.
• Organize workshops for service providers at Kuwait University (security officers, cleaning supervisors, catering personnel and maintenance and construction supervisors).
• Organize lectures on the H1N1 pandemic to which Kuwait University students and personnel are invited.
• Use new communication means such as emails and SMS to communicate with the students and faculty.
• Encourage those having the symptoms of H1N1 to visit the nearest polyclinic, stay home and avoid contact with others.
• Encourage students with chronic illnesses to visit the Counseling Office to register their names for follow-up.
• Prepare on-campus clinics to receive patients and train paramedics and nursing staff on how to deal with suspected H1N1 cases.
• Train the nursing staff regarding how to communicate with patients to give advice and follow-up cases.
• Provide ambulances to transfer the patients to designated health institutions.
• Provide an isolation room in each clinic to be used when necessary.
• Provide a computer and internet service in the clinics on campus.
• Appoint a nursing supervisor for on-campus clinics.
• Appoint doctors for the on-campus clinics.
• Record the health information of 2009/2010 scholarship students and ensure referring them to the health institutions for preliminary examination.
• Recommend postponing student activities for one month after commencement of study to ensure that proper safety requirement are in place.
• Recommend postponing the activities of student leagues and societies for one month after commencement of study.
• Recommend postponing student elections for one month after the beginning of the academic year.
• Recommend postponing any other activity in the various university centres.
• Recommend not to hold any conferences on campus for one month after the beginning of the academic year.
These recommendations are based on the concerns of a potential spread of the disease.
The aim is to put in place the preventive measures including avoiding any activities of social nature.
To be presented within the next week
and activated if the disease becomes more severe.
1. The Committee recommended student elections to be held on time, provided that necessary precautionary measures are in place. Such measures shall depend on medical opinion and shall include spaces between ballot boxes, availability of disinfectants and facemasks, availability of a sufficient number of ambulances, etc. The Deanship of Student Affairs shall oversee that such precautions and requirements are available. Permission to hold the elections shall not be given unless, in coordination with the concerned university authority, such requirements were found to be in place.
The Committee shall monitor the health situation in the campus and evaluate it in its regular meeting next Thursday, 15/10/2009. Based on feedback from the Deanship of Student Affairs and the Safety and Security Department, the Committee shall consider any developments following this recommendation and shall act accordingly.
Protection of Other Housemates:
The following guidelines should be followed by people sick with A1 H1N1, who are cared for at home and their housemates in order to reduce the spread of the flu:
1. Stay home for 7 days after symptoms began or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer, except to seek medical care or for other necessities.
2. Cover your nose and mouth during coughing and sneezing. Clean your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based disinfectants, especially after using tissues and after coughing or sneezing into hands.
3. Avoid close contact with others - do not go to work or school while ill.
4. Have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based disinfectant. Children may need to be reminded or helped keeping their hands clean.
5. If possible, have only one adult in the home take care of the sick person. People at increased risk of developing severe flu such as those aged 65 years and older, people with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women and young children should avoid contact with the sick person, if possible.
6. Infants should not be cared for by a person sick with flu.
7. Keep the sick person in a separate room in the house with a separate bathroom. Keep the room door closed.
8. If there is no separate bathroom, the bathroom must be cleaned daily with household disinfectants.
9. The sick person should not have visitors other than the caregivers. A phone call is safer than a visit.
10. Use paper towels for drying hands after hand washing or dedicate cloth towels to each person in the household.
11. If possible, consideration should be given to maintaining good ventilation in shared household areas (e.g., keeping windows open in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.).
12. When holding small children who are sick, place their chin on your shoulder so that they will not cough in your face.
13. Household members should monitor themselves for flu symptoms and contact a telephone hotline if symptoms occur to healthy people.
Using Facemasks:
1. A sick person should wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, when sharing a room with other family members to help prevent the spread of the virus to others. This is especially important if other household members are at high risk for complications from flu.
2. If persons with flu need to leave the house (for example, for medical care), they should wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, and cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
3. If a caregiver is at a high risk for complications from flu, they should attempt to avoid close contact with the person sick with flu. If close contact with a sick individual is unavoidable, consider wearing a facemask.
4. Wear a mask when helping a sick person with respiratory treatments such as using a nebulizer, as instructed by the physician. Respiratory treatments should be performed in a separate room away from common areas in the house.
5. Place the facemask carefully to cover mouth and nose and tie securely to minimize any gaps between the face and the mask.
6. Avoid touching the mask while in use; whenever you touch a used mask, clean hands by washing with soap and water.
7. Used facemasks should be taken off and placed immediately in the trash so they don't touch anything else.
8. Avoid re-using disposable facemasks.
9. After you take off a facemask, clean your hands with soap and water.
10. Using a mask incorrectly may actually increase the risk of transmission, rather than reduce it.
Household Cleaning, Laundry, and Waste Disposal
1. Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash and then wash your hands after touching them.
2. Keep surfaces (especially bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, and children toys) clean by wiping them with a household disinfectant.
3. Linens, eating utensils and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
4. Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumble dry in a hot setting. Avoid carrying laundry close to your body prior to washing it to prevent contaminating yourself. Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based disinfectants right after handling dirty laundry.
1- Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands repeatedly with soap and water especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
2- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
3- Stay home or at your place of residence if you are sick for 7 days and 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (38 C), or signs of a fever (chills, feeling warm, flushed appearance or sweating), whichever is longer. This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). Staying away from others while sick can prevent them from getting sick too. Ask a roommate, friend or family member to check up on you and to bring you food and supplies, if needed.
Below are some tips on how to take care of yourself and to keep others healthy in case you have Flu.
1- Know the signs and symptoms of flu. Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea or vomiting.
2- Stay home or at your place of residence if you are sick for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (38C) or signs of a fever (chills, feeling warm, flushed appearance or sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications. Staying away from others while sick can prevent them from getting sick too. Ask a roommate, friend or family member to check up on you and to bring you food and supplies, if needed.
3- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
4- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
5- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
6- Sick people should stay at home or in their place of residence, except to go to the health care centre.
7- Stay in a separate room and avoid contact with others. If someone is caring for you, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, when they are in the room.
8- Drink plenty of clear fluids (such as water, broth or sports drinks) to keep from becoming dehydrated.
9- Contact your doctor or health care centre for treatment if you are at a higher risk for complications from flu. People at higher risk for flu complications include children under the age of 5 years, pregnant women, people of any age who have chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), and people aged 65 years or older.
10- Contact your doctor (or go to the health care centre) right away if you are having difficulty breathing or are getting worse.
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