Student Health Center remains open this weekend

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October 30, 2009

By STEPHEN BARTLETT The Press Republican Fri Oct 30, 2009, 11:28 PM EDT

PLATTSBURGH — Plattsburgh State's Health Center will remain open through the weekend because so many students are sick.

Record numbers of students are ending up there, and many of them have flu-like symptoms.

Dan Vaccaro is pretty sure he had the flu. The Plattsburgh State senior couldn't get out of bed while he was sick and missed classes.

"I got vaccinated," he said. "I'm wondering if that got me sick."

At least one student has been confirmed with H1N1, also called swine flu, and health officials continue to say that is the only flu identified in the state so far this year, making it likely that many of those who are ill have H1N1.

Plattsburgh State's Center for Health and Psychological Services will be open this weekend, when it is normally closed, to see students with severe symptoms associated with influenza-like illness.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for this weekend.

Students with other medical issues will be seen Monday during regular hours.

Physicians at the clinic continue to treat every influenza-like case as though it were H1N1.

The number of flu-like cases seen by the Student Health Center continues to rise, with 27 cases this past Monday and 35 on Tuesday.

Students at the center with flu symptoms are isolated from those who are there for other reasons. Some have waited more than three hours to be seen, due to the number of students going to the center.

Reneise Trowers said she appreciated the care she's received at the center when she's had to go there.

Neither she nor her friends have gotten the flu this year, but some of them have coughs.

Trowers isn't taking any chances.

"I wash my hands all the time, change my sheets often and carry around hand sanitizer," said the education major.

Some sick students have chosen to stay in their dorm rooms, away from others, and some are being sent home to their families.

Clinic physicians would prefer that students with influenza-like illness return home to recuperate — or self isolate if that is not an option.

The Center for Student Health and Psychological Services is expecting another partial shipment of H1N1 vaccine soon.

The college plans to distribute more information to students, faculty and staff and is also referring them to www.flu.gov.

E-mail Stephen Bartlett at: sbartlett@pressrepublican.com