Symptoms include:

• Fever of 99.9 degrees or greater or chills and
• Cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, fatigue, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
• Incubation and Infectious Period
• The incubation period for Influenza infection is one to seven days.
• The infectious period for Influenza is defined as one day prior to the onset of illness to 24 hours after the fever ends without the use of fever-reducing medications.
• The illness has been presenting as mild flu symptoms with a fever lasting two to three days.
• The Influenza virus lives on surfaces for two to eight hours.
• Current data indicate the risk of infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups (as compared to seasonal influenza).

Groups at the highest risk for complications of the Influenza virus:

• Pregnant women
• People who live with and care for children younger than six months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical personnel
• People between the ages of six months and 24 years (this includes most of our students)
• People ages 25-64 years of age who have chronic health conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes)

Flu viruses are commonly spread when the infected person coughs or sneezes into the air in proximity to others. You can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces or objects, such as keyboards, phones, doorknobs, or personal care items and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose. The Influenza virus remains alive on surfaces for 2 to 8 hours.

To keep from getting sick with the flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends:

• Hand washing is the best, single way to avoid the spread of infection. Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed in the entrances of all campus buildings and in the computer labs located in Goulet, Poisson, Academic Resource Center, and the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
• 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.
• Get vaccinated. Talk to your health care provider to find out if you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu. A vaccine clinic for the seasonal flu will be held on campus.
• Encourage sick people to stay at home or in their residence except to speak to a health care provider about whether they have the flu, appropriate treatment, and what actions to take if they have severe symptoms. They should stay at home until they are free of fever for at least 24 hours.
• Stay at least six feet away from infected people, or wear a face mask while in their presence.
• Establish regular schedules for frequent cleaning of commonly touched surfaces, including doorknobs, handrails, remote controls, keyboards, telephones, chairs, and desks. Use disinfectant wipes for cleaning.

Members of the Saint Anselm College community are encouraged to understand the college's preparations and protocols for dealing with any Influenza outbreak at the college. This information is included within this Web site and includes prevention tips and protocols for recognizing the onset of flu symptoms and limiting its transmission.

The following sites provide additional helpful information on Influenza.

• Flu.gov »
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) »
• New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services »
• World Health Organization (WHO) »