All patients that visit Student Health Services at The University of Western Ontario are being screened for human swine flu.
On Wednesday (April 29), the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan increased the influenza pandemic alert level from phase four to five, which means there has been human-to-human spread of the virus in at least two countries in one WHO region.
She encouraged all countries to activate their pandemic preparedness plans.
In response to the current alert levels, Student Health Services Clinical director Shelagh Bantock says the clinic is screening everyone who comes through its doors for the A/H1N1 virus.
“Every visitor is now being officially screened,” she says.
Patients will be given a temperature reading; they will be asked a series of questions about whether they are experiencing symptoms, such as headaches, fever, muscle aches, coughing, sneezing or general flu-like symptoms; and questioned if they have recently returned from Mexico or have been in contact with someone who has.
Masks will be distributed to those showing one or more of the symptoms.
As of Wednesday, April 29, Ontario health officials confirmed seven cases of swine flu in the province (four in Durham Region, two in York Region and one in Peel Region). All of the cases are considered mild. To date, there are a total of 19 confirmed cases in Canada.
“As much as the WHO has gone to stage five … everything is still steady as it goes,” says Bantock. “We don’t want to overreact; we just keep monitoring, keep up our infection-control standards.
“Stage five means it has spread to several countries, therefore it is imminent it is going to be around the world … it’s not just isolated to Mexico or North America. Locally, what it means for us is we keep up our vigilance on infection control.”
New posters displaying information about the signs and symptoms of human swine flu and prevention techniques will be distributed to buildings across campus today. Anyone experiencing the signs is reminded to visit a family doctor, Student Health Services or a local medical clinic.
Bantock says positive tests can only be achieved by a nasal swab, which is sent to a laboratory, and it takes 48 hours for the results to be returned. Several people from the London area are currently being tested for human swine flu and results are expected on Friday.
The university continues to be guided by the Middlesex-London Health Unit and updates will be provided as soon as they are available.
For more information on the human swine influenza, visit https://www.health.gov.on.ca/.