Medical students who are ill with a febrile (fever of 101) respiratory illness (cough, SOB, sore throat, or significant myalgia) should be considered to have an influenza-like illness (which at this time is 95%+ likely to be novel H1N1), and should stay away from their hospital or clinic work responsibilities, and they should notify their preceptor and the appropriate administrative assistant in our medical school office. Students should not return to work until at least a 24-hr fever-free period without use of antipyretic agents as long as they can reasonably avoid contact with immunocompromised patients. If they are likely to have some contact with immunocompromised patients in their work, then they should not return until after 7 days from the onset of symptoms or until the resolution of symptoms, whichever is LONGER. Also note that only negative real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) for 2009 H1N1 in respiratory secretions sufficiently documents absence of that infection.

If you think that you are coming down with the flu (see above), please stay at home. Please do not expose your fellow students to the virus. OME will help assist you in covering any material that you missed.

Also, contact your facilitator, plus either Associate Dean DeMers, Dr. Borg (Year II), Dr. Carr (Year I) , or Dr. Hill if you are going to miss a PCL session.