By Steve Gilliam, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 4-30-09
GREENSBORO, NC – UNCG has plans in place to deal with the possible spread of Influenza A (H1N1), commonly known as swine flu, if an outbreak occurs in the Triad and the state. The disease is highly contagious and may pose a serious health threat to members of the UNCG community and the public.
UNCG officials are continuing to monitor the disease through reports from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, the Guilford County Public Health Department and the N.C. Division of Public Health.
If a situation develops, information on plans and developments at UNCG will be sent to the UNCG community by email and voicemail, and will be on the university’s emergency web site, www.uncg-campus.info.
For more information, visit the web sites of the:
• UNCG Student Health Center at http://www.uncg.edu/shs/flu/
• Guilford County Department of Public Health website at http://www.guilfordhealth.org/
• Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/
• World Health Organization at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html
“Hopefully this threat will not materialize,” said Chancellor Linda P. Brady. “The university, however, is taking the prospect of a flu outbreak very seriously. Our primary goal is to protect the health and safety of UNCG students, faculty and staff. They should take all possible measures to stay well and to guarantee their own health and safety.”
Details are available about protective measures to avoid infection on the Student Health Center site.
UNCG has standing groups ready to take action should a communicable disease emergency occur. They are the Emergency Planning and Response Team, the Crisis Management Group, and a Communicable Disease Advisory Committee.
The university spent more than a year from 2006 to 2007 developing a plan to deal with an avian flu pandemic, which was believed to be a potential threat to the United States. Representatives from across the campus worked on how the university would respond at five different levels of alert. These levels are based on the World Health Organization’s pandemic phases and the top level for UNCG would possibly suspend classes and/or close the university for a period of 4-8 weeks.
