Charles Sturt University
Swine Influenza Update
Update 19th of June
New Pandemic Alert Phase Announced
On 17 June 2009, the Federal Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, after consultation with State and Territory governments, announced a new pandemic response phase for Australia called PROTECT. The new PROTECT phase is consistent with the advice provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) when it lifted its Pandemic Alert level to six (6). At that time the WHO indicated that countries would need to adjust their responses to Swine Flu to accommodate the updated knowledge now available regarding H1N1 Influenza 09 (Swine Flu), in particular that the disease is mild in most cases, severe in some and moderate overall. The new pandemic alert phase (PROTECT) has been created to guide the ongoing Australian response to the disease.
Key elements of the new PROTECT phase are:
- A focus on early treatment of people who may be vulnerable to severe outcomes. These people include pregnant women and those with respiratory disease (asthma, COPD), heart disease, diabetes, renal disease, morbid obesity, and immunosuppression.
- Identification and early treatment of those with moderate or severe disease especially in people with respiratory difficulty.
- Control of outbreaks in institutional settings.
- Voluntary home isolation for those with mild disease with supportive treatment only, such as over the counter medication (Antiviral therapy from the national or state medical stockpiles will not be provided to these patients or their household contacts, unless they belong to vulnerable groups or are in institutional settings). Contacts will not be placed into quarantine.
- Testing would be directed to identification of H1N1 Influenza 09 in people with moderate or severe illness, people more vulnerable to severe illness or those in institutional settings.
- Increased identification and monitoring of hospital admissions, ICU admissions and death in cases of H1N1 Influenza 09 infection and monitoring of clinical outcomes throughout the influenza season.
- Increased testing for influenza at sentinel sites in the community to identify levels of community transmission and the strain of circulating influenza viruses.
- Ongoing monitoring of the virus for the emergence of antiviral resistance, genomic drift or
re-assortment that could herald a change to greater virulence.
What does the PROTECT phase mean for you at CSU?
In response to the newly announced PROTECT phase, CSU will maintain its current Swine Flu management protocols as outlined in previous CSU Alerts. The University's protocols remain consistent with the intent of the PROTECT phase and are in keeping with its aim of reducing the spread of infection and protecting those most vulnerable to severe Swine Flu symptoms.
CSU are achieving these aims by:
- Advising all staff and students to be vigilant with hygiene practices, especially coughing and hand washing etiquette and appropriate disposal of used tissues;
- Educating staff and students through regular updates on the need to monitor the onset of Flu like symptoms and providing information on what those symptoms include;
- Providing advice to staff and students concerned about the development of their Flu like symptoms;
- Providing advice regarding the most vulnerable groups. NB - If you fall into one of the categories identified as being at higher risk of severe infection, you should monitor the development of any Flu like symptoms. If symptoms develop and worsen, you should contact your doctor promptly for advice on your medical management;
- Providing advice regarding the management of staff and student absence from the University; and
- Providing ready access to state and federal government web sites and other relevant health authorities (e.g. WHO).
The state and federal government pandemic alert web pages have been updated in response to the changed alert phase from Contain to PROTECT. For up to date information from these departments and other relevant health authorities please refer to the updated links provided under 'Further Information'. A feature of the PROTECT phase includes the change that antiviral therapy from the national or state medical stockpiles will not be provided to patients with mild disease or their household contacts, unless they belong to vulnerable groups. The state and federal websites subsequently include some valuable information on the management of symptoms and the use of supportive treatments only (such as over the counter medication) in managing Flu like symptoms. It is therefore highly recommended that you review these sites for advice on managing symptoms.
The University encourages all staff and students to be familiar with the Swine Flu CSU Alerts including relevant other information ('Information for Staff/Students') and 'Further Information' links. This will ensure you are aware of Swine Flu and the management strategies being employed within the University. As always CSU will closely monitor the Swine Flu situation to ensure that the University is well placed and prepared to manage changes. CSU will update staff and students via the CSU Alerts web page and 'What's New' as developments occur.
Michael Knight
Executive Director