Swine Flu – Information for Students, Parents and Carers
- What is Swine Flu?
- What can I do to avoid catching it?
- What are the symptoms?
- What should I do if I get symptoms?
- What should I do if I have Swine Flu and need to be off College?
- Will the College be closed or my lessons cancelled?
- What about Work-based Learners?
- Will my EMA/ALG be affected?
- What should I do if a close family member becomes unwell or I need to care for a dependant?
What is Swine Flu?
Influenza A (H1N1), also known as swine flu, is a new type of flu resulting from changes to the ordinary swine flu virus. It particularly affects the lungs, spreads very easily and affects people of all ages.
What can I do to avoid catching it?
Catch it - Bin it - Kill it
You can reduce, but not totally stop the risk of catching or spreading flu by:
- Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, and making sure that you always have tissues with you
- Getting rid of dirty tissues quickly and carefully – bag and bin them • Avoiding non-essential travel and large crowds wherever possible
- Keeping good basic hygiene; washing your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to your face, to surfaces or to other people
Please bring tissues to College and use them, just once, to cover your nose and mouth every time you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue into a bin straight away. Bins are in every classroom and in shared areas such as corridors, canteens etc. Do not spit; this is particularly an issue in the smoking areas.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of Swine Flu are much the same as those of ordinary flu, but may be stronger and cause more serious complications. Usually the symptoms are a sudden fever (a high temperature of 38C/100.4F or above), and a sudden cough.
Other symptoms may include:
- headache
- tiredness
- chills
- aching muscles or limb or joint pain
- diarrhoea or stomach upset
- sore throat
- runny nose
- sneezing and
- loss of appetite
What should I do if I get symptoms?
If you have the symptoms and think that you may have Swine Flu, please:
- Stay at home, so that you don’t pass it on, and rest
- Check your symptoms with your GP or at www.nhs.uk or via the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513513, and if necessary contact the National Pandemic Flu Service at www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu or on 0800 1 513 100
- Take medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol to relieve the symptoms
- Drink plenty of fluids
Most people who have had Swine Flu recover within a week even without being given antiviral medicine.
What should I do if I have Swine Flu and need to be off College?
As soon as you have the symptoms or have been diagnosed with Swine Flu, you need to stay at home and your parent/carer or you should phone the College.
- If you study at Crawley, Burgess Hill or East Grinstead please call 01293 442269
- If you study at Haywards Heath please call 01444 456281
You should wait at least seven days, or until your symptoms stop, before coming back to College.
Will the College be closed or my lessons cancelled?
It is highly unlikely that the college will have to close. If staff in your Faculty are unwell then normal cover measures will be employed. If the level of staff absence means this is not possible then some classes may have to be cancelled. It is important that you let us have your mobile, home phone numbers and e-mail address so that we can contact you quickly.
Students will be contacted by phone or text but it may be possible that we cannot contact everyone so course and class closures will also be posted on our website www.centralsussex.ac.uk and displayed at Reception. You will also be advised when your next classes will be running.
In the unlikely event that lessons are cancelled we will arrange for lesson materials to be posted on Blackboard/Moodle so you can continue studying at home during the cancellation or if you are unwell yourself.
What about Work-based Learners?
As a work based or employed learner, if you are absent from College due to your own sickness or a cancelled lesson, it is your responsibility to inform your employer and your Training Coordinator. If you are sponsored by another source they should also be notified by you. For example if you are funded via the College's Employer Services Department you should notify your Training Coordinator.
Your training may also be affected by flu arrangements at your place of work. For example, you may have to cover for colleagues and therefore not be able to comply with your assessment plan. Should this be the case you will also need to let relevant parties know of this. For example, if you are sponsored by Employer Services at college your Training Coordinator will need to know as we may need to revisit your planned end date. Please also advise your assessor if you are unable to meet the action plan from their previous visit. In the unlikely event of this happening Employer Services will inform you and your employer of any changes following consultation with your assessor.
Will my EMA/ALG be affected?
Swine Flu will be treated as a normal illness and you will not be paid when you are off sick. However, if the College has had to cancel lessons or caused disruption to learning due to Swine Flu the College will pay EMA/ALG. Queries or concerns should go to the Welfare Coordinator on 01293 442269.
What should I do if a close family member becomes unwell or I need to care for a dependant?
If a member of your household has Swine Flu you should still come to College, unless you also become unwell.
If you have to stay at home, either to care for a dependant who is suffering from Swine Flu or because a school where a dependant attends is closed due to a local outbreak of Swine Flu, please contact the Welfare Team (numbers as above) to discuss further.
