MAC SLAVIN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Officials at Wartburg confirmed the college’s first case of H1N1 on campus in a release to students Monday Oct. 12.
“I certainly don’t want students to worry, … but I do want them to be attentive and not ignore symptoms; if you have the symptoms attend to them,” Darrel Colson, Wartburg College president said.
According to a release issued to students, “a student had a positive diagnosis of the illness, was sent home, is now recuperating and is expected to return soon.”
The release also said the college followed its procedure established earlier in the year.
“Protocol is that if someone is sick, we encourage them to be seen at the Noah Health Clinic and then the clinic would try to treat and diagnose. In some cases, they will run an H1N1 test, if the symptoms warrant it and in this particular case, that was done,” Deb Loers, vice president of student life, said.
Students on campus are being urged to stay in their rooms if they begin to exhibit flu-like symptoms and call the clinic on campus.
Megan McMillin, a physicians assistant at Noah Health Clinic, said now that a confirmed case has been reported on campus, she has seen a rise in the number of students at the clinic.
Colson, Loers and McMillin all agreed students need to continue to follow good hygiene and wash and sanitize their hands.
“The biggest thing is to know that it is out there, and we probably will have more cases,” McMillin said.