School of Nursing H1N1 Updates
Message from Dean Martha N. Hill - August 24, 2009
Dear SON Colleagues,
As we near the end of the summer, it is hard to believe that the new academic year is almost ready to start. We have had a very busy summer and I hope that all of you have enjoyed some rejuvenating vacation.
Across the university, the deans and administration have been preparing for the likely return of H1N1. All indications thus far are that the virulence of the H1N1 virus remains relatively low; most patients suffer symptoms comparable with those of seasonal flu. Models by Jon Links from the Bloomberg School of Public Health indicate that the number of sick students, faculty and staff at any one time is likely to be relatively small, even if total prevalence is high.
Our current expectation, therefore, is to conduct academic business as usual in 2009-10.
However, we must be cognizant of the small probability that the case fatality ratio for the virus could increase. If so, social distancing - for example, by suspending classes and closing dorms - could become a more critical approach to H1N1 control. We are monitoring the situation closely.
This note is to briefly update you on specific steps being taken to manage the H1N1 risks as students return to campus.
President Daniels has met with the leadership of JHU-APL and the Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) to clarify a Unified Command that will jointly decide matters that affect APL, JHHS, and the university, with support from the Committee on Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPAR).
To emphasize the importance of prevention, a broadcast message has been sent to all full-time JHU students explaining how to prevent becoming infected with H1N1, and how to control the risk of others should they get a flu-like illness. We also sent this message to our part-time students. The message can be seen at http://flu.jhu.edu, which will continue to serve as the JHU flu website, on our SON H1N1 Advisory site on the SON portal http://portal.son.jhmi.edu/H1N1/default.aspx, as well as this external webpage at http://www.nursing.jhu.edu/flu.
To further underscore preventative measures, JHU Marketing and Creative Services has produced fliers to reinforce what steps people can take to avoid spreading the H1N1 virus once on campus. These messages are now posted throughout the SON.
With leadership from CEPAR, we are developing common H1N1 treatment protocols and a vaccination program for all traditional full-time students, faculty, and staff.
The leadership of each JHU school has developed an H1N1 and continuity of operations plan. Each school has also identified an Incident Command group to manage their unit during this potential emergency or others. At the SON the Dean's Administrative Leadership Team serves in this role. In September we will share our operation plan with you.
The university has drafted an emergency management protocol that empanels a Leadership Group to make major decisions about H1N1 (e.g. suspending classes and closing dorms) and an Incident Command. This management protocol is part of a draft JHU H1N1 Plan that outlines our current expectations and best thinking about how to respond to a pandemic. We will let you know when it is posted on the JHU and SON websites.
Finally, Hopkins has been in communications with other peer universities. Our planning to date is consistent with theirs.
We will keep you posted with regular updates on H1N1, and we hope that the "business as usual" scenario is the one we realize. In the meantime, please let me know if you have questions.
Martha N. Hill, PhD, RN, FAAN
Dean
Professor of Nursing, Medicine and Public Health
