Northern Virginia Community College recently received confirmation of its first H1N1 case at the Annandale Campus. The individual attended classes from September 7 -11 but has been ordered by the family’s personal physician to stay home until the symptoms subside.

Although we have yet to experience a high number of confirmed cases of H1N1, we like to remind everyone that we are not immune to an H1N1 outbreak and we encourage everyone to continue to take the appropriate steps as requested by the CDC to stay healthy. We advise students, faculty and staff to take the proper precautions to prevent the spread of germs:

If you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, we ask that you stay home, notify your supervisor, and contact your healthcare provider. As NOVA continues to monitor this situation closely, we will continue to provide information and updates to ensure a safe campus environment.

Know the flu symptoms. H1N1 symptoms are similar to the seasonal flu: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting are also possible.

Stay home if you have flu or flu-like illness for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen).

Ask your health care provider if you should be vaccinated for seasonal flu. If you are at higher risk for flu complications from the H1N1 flu, consider getting the H1N1vaccine when it becomes available.

For information about priority groups for vaccination, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Stay informed. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides current flu information at http://www.flu.gov/.