Considerations for Coordinated Pandemic Planning StFX

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Considerations for Coordinated Pandemic Planning
StFX

• H1N1

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Outline

• Objectives for planning and response
• Prevention measures
• Caring for the ill
• Communications
• Maintaining operations

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Objectives for Planning and Response

• Infection Prevention
• Hand hygiene and cough etiquette
• Self-isolation
• Primary assessment site

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Hand Hygiene

• Campus Wide

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Facilities Management

• Posters in every washroom
• Hand Sanitizer Stations
• Ensure hand washing supplies (soap and paper
  towels) are always available.
• Waste receptacles are emptied regularly and
  available in high traffic areas.

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Key Messages to Communicate

• 1. Cough Etiquette
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve.
• If using tissues, dispose of them into
  appropriate receptacle and wash hands.

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Key Messages to Communicate

• 2 Proper Hand Hygiene with Soap Water
• Wet your hands with warm running water.
• Add soap, and then rub your hands together,
  making a soapy lather. Do this for at least 15
  seconds. Wash the front and back of your hands,
  as well as between your fingers and under your
  nails.
• Rinse your hands well under warm running water.
• Pat hands dry with a paper towel.
• Turn off water using same paper towel and dispose
  in a proper receptacle.

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Key Messages to Communicate

• 3. Proper Hand Hygiene for Alcohol Based Hand
  Sanitizer
• Remove hand and arm jewellery
• Ensure hands are visibly clean (if soiled, follow
  hand washing steps)
• Apply between 1 to 2 full pumps of product, or
  squirt a loonie-sized amount, onto one palm.
• Spread product over all surfaces of hand,
  concentrating on finger tips, between fingers,
  back of hands, and base of thumbs.
• Rub hands until product is dry. This will take a
  minimum of 15 to 20 seconds if sufficient product
  is used.

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Communications

• Website
• Big screens in Morrison Hall
• Mass email list serve
• Pamphlets

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University

• Individual hand sanitizer distributed to each
  student.

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Food Service

• Self service model will move to a staff service
  model (if mandated by public health)

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Preparation

• Cold Medicine/Advil
• Stockpile Food

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Caring for the Ill
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How to Recognize Influenza

• Flu-like symptoms are
• fever and/or cough
• AND
• one or more of unusual tiredness, head, muscle
  or joint aches, or sore throat.

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Self Isolation
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Self Isolation

• Students/staff/faculty with influenza-like
  illness (ILI) should stay home until they are
• Symptom-free
• Feeling well
• Able to fully participate in all normal day-to-
  day school activities

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Key Messages to Communicate

• All Students report flu like Illness to H1N1
  Health Centre

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Residence Life

• Return home
• Single occupancy-self isolation (wear mask and
  gloves when leaving room)
• Double occupancy-relocate well student to empty
  room in residence

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Sick Notes for Students

• The Health Centre will not be issuing sick notes
  for flu like illness.
• Health Centre will circulate names of students
  who have reported flu like illness to the Deans
  at the end of each week.

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Considerations for Faculty

• Alternative educational delivery
• Online tutorials
• Assignments on line

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Additional Considerations

• If we are experiencing an increase in FLI in
  residence guest and overnight guest restrictions
  may be advisable.

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Additional Considerations

• Although cancelling large group gathering is not
  currently recommended, individuals who are
  experiencing FLI should not attend.

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Additional Considerations

• It is unlikely that Public Health will mandate
  public or post secondary school cancellation.

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Primary Assessment Centre
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Primary Assessment Centre

• Nurses will assess students who may require
  hospital care.
• Sectioned off centre of the health centre.
• Facilities Management to locate sanitizer pump,
  masks and gloves outside the door.
• Protocol from Department of Health

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Human Resources
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Maintaining Operations

• 20 to 30 of students/staff/faculty may be ill
  over several months.
• Consider institution continuity planning.

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Q. If an employee contracts the flu they should
stay at home?

• A. Yes
•  
• Q. First, use accumulated sick leave time? 
• A. Yes. When sick leave time has been used, an
  employee may use in lieu or vacation time or
  leave of absence without pay. 

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Q. If an employee has been quarantined by a
third party How should they be treated?

• A. Follow the same procedure if he/she was sick.
  If at all possible if the employee who is
  quarantined could work from home, an arrangement
  could be worked out with their direct manager.

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Q. How are faculty and staff treated who do
not have any sick time or very limited (Part time
Faculty, TESL Instructors (limited), new
employees, hourly employees).

• A. An employee must utilize any sick leave time
  has been accrued and then, an employee may use in
  lieu or vacation time or leave of absence without
  pay. 
•  

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Q. Will medical documentation be required? 

• A. Initially a doctors note will not be
  required, however the employer (the University)
  always has the right to request and receive a
  doctors note at any time.

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Q. What if the employee is a caregiver, how do
we treat the time absent from work? 

• A. The employee may utilize their two emergency
  travel days and then an employee may use in lieu
  or vacation time or leave of absence without
  pay.  Note  special leave may only be used if
  there is an emergency. Initially evidence will
  not be required, however the employer (the
  University) has the right to request evidence at
  any time.

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Q. Will this protocol for a mild pandemic
change as the status changes to severe?

• A.The University will monitor the situation and
  will make changes to protocol based on
  consultation with Public Health and other
  internal and external factors.

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Q. If the University suspends operations, will
you follow the same procedures?

• A. The University will follow its policy of
  Unscheduled Closure and/or cancellation of
  Classes (located on the StFX HR website under
  Policies and Procedures)

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Who will employees contact to report absenteeism?

• Current practice will continue. StFXAUT Faculty
  and StFXAUT members will report their absence
  directly to the Chair of their department or
  through the department administrative assistant
  or to whom they directly report. Non union Staff
  will report their absence directly to their
  manager. CAW and CUPE members will report their
  absence directly to their supervisor.

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QUESTIONS?