cares about our health Dear Colleagues In the last few days there has been a great deal of attention directed at the recent outbreak of swine flu The health of our students you and your family is top of mind at times like this so is in close contact with the State Office of Homeland Security the and other authorities in order to provide you the most up to date information Swine flu is normally passed between pigs but can be passed to people who have contact with pigs such as farmers veterinarians etc Recent cases of human to human transmission have been reported So far the has verified 40 cases in the US U.S. but experts expect this number to grow You cannot get swine flu from t k ea pV por 1 To date the severity of cases in the US U.S. has been very similar to the severity of typical seasonal flu and standard flu treatments have been successful The federal government state county and local health departments are paying close attention to swine flu trends but are confident our protocols and treatments w will ll be effective in treating it just as they are in treating normal seasonal flu flu v Normal flu p precautions are always important and the infection prevention protocols that have become part of our culture are always in order These include Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when then you cough or sneeze throwing the tissue away Washing your hands frequently wi with soap and water especially after sneezing or coughing based Alcohol-based hand handI I cleaners are also effective Avoid touching your eyes nose or mouth Avoiding close contact with sick people whenever and wherever possible If you get sick with flu staying home and limiting contact with others Taking care of ourselves when were we're sick allows us to be ready to care for others While diligence is important we will also be following the protocols set forth in Appendix F of the colleges college's emergency procedures manual should further levels of engagement be needed We will provide updates if the situation changes Meanwhile more information on swine flu is available at the at-the the web site at http I hope this quick summary is helpful for you here at the college and within your respective homes Sincerely President Bioteau