• Home
• Vaccination Clinics
• Students
• Parents
• Professors
  • APUO
• Employees
• Managers
• Resources
• Media
• Contact Information

Resources

Pandemic Plans

• Pandemic Plan October 2009 (pdf)
• Guidelines regarding academic activities (pdf)

F.A.Q. (click on the question below to see the response)

• What is H1N1?

  
  H1N1 influenza is a respiratory illness caused by a new flu virus.
  
• Is H1N1 influenza contagious? How does it spread between people?

  
  

  Yes, H1N1 influenza is contagious: the virus can be spread from person to person. It spreads at a similar rate and in a similar fashion to seasonal flu.

  
  
• What can I do to protect myself from infection?

  
  There are several very important actions you can take to protect yourself:
  

  • Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer;
  • Cough and sneeze in your arm or sleeve;
  • Get your annual flu shot;
  • Stay home if you are sick;
  • Talk to a health professional if you experience severe flu-like symptoms.

  
  
• What are the symptoms?

  
  

  Symptoms of the H1N1 virus include:

  • Fever (more than 38°C); 
  • Chills, shakes; 
  • Cough and/or sore throat and/or runny nose; 
  • Shortness of breath; 
  • Nausea and/or diarrhea;
  • Fatigue;
  • Muscle pain and/or headache;
  • Loss of appetite.

  
  
• What should I do if I have symptoms?

  
  

  A person with flu like symptoms should:

  • For mild symptoms (as in most cases): Stay home. Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids (avoid dehydration), limit contact with friends and household members, ensure family members wash their hands often and clean frequently touched surfaces. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help reduce the fever.
  • For moderate symptoms – such as worsening cough, fever, fatigue, muscle aches, etc. – see a family physician or primary health care provider.
  • For severe symptoms – such as shortness of breath or difficulty breathing – go to a hospital emergency.

  Contact

  • Telehealth Ontario 1-866-797-0000 or TTY: 1-866-797-0007
  • Infosanté (if you live in Quebec): 811

  If Telehealth or Infosanté suggests you see a physician, the University of Ottawa Health Services Clinic is located at 100 Marie Curie. For severe symptoms, go to the hospital.

  
  
• H1N1 Vaccine Myths

  
  H1N1 Vaccine Myths (Public Health Agency of Canada)
  
• Is the H1N1 flu virus vaccine safe?

  
  

  Vaccine Safety – Questions and Answers (external site)

  http://ottawa.ca/residents/health/conditions/swine_influenza/vaccine_safety_en.html

  
  
• I’m pregnant, what should I do if I have flu symptoms?

  
  

  If you are pregnant, you are not “more” likely to get the H1N1, however, Pregnant women and people with medical conditions related to the heart, lungs or immune system should see a physician or primary health care provider within two days of the onset of symptoms. Early treatment can lessen the severity of the disease.

  
  
• Have specific measures been taken to prevent a campus-wide epidemic?

  
  

  The measures that the University have taken so far include the following:

  • designed a response plan
  • set up a flu Info line (613-562-5555)
  • installed hand-sanitizer dispensers across campus 
  • posted signs describing hand-washing techniques in all washrooms 
  • reviewed cleaning protocols 
  • launched a campus-wide flu-prevention awareness campaign.
    

  
  
• If I have any questions, to whom should I address them?

  
  

  Consult this website regularly, as it may already have your answer.

  Call our H1N1 info line at 613-562-5555.

  
  
• If I have to miss classes because of H1N1, do I need a medical certificate to justify my absence?

  
  

  Beginning December 1, all students who are absent due to the H1N1 flu virus or have flu-like symptoms will be required to supply a doctor’s note or medical certificate in relation to their absence. The student self-declaration form will remain active for 10 days to allow for accommodation of absences prior to December 1.

  
  
• Will I be penalized if I miss school because of H1N1?

  
  

  No.  The University is ready with a number of contingency measures designed as much as possible to allow academic activities to continue (for instance, easing access to subject matter covered in a student's absence, pushing back deadlines, and adopting other measures deemed necessary to safeguard program or curriculum integrity. If need be, specific guidelines will come into effect by way of an official University decree.

  
  
• How will I be informed of any changes in the University's position or policies?

  
  

  First, we encourage you to consult this site regularly, if not daily. 

  As well, be sure to read your uOttawa emails, which is our official channel of communication with you. If you forward your uOttawa messages to another address, make sure that your filter settings allow them to get through. 

  www.sic.uottawa.ca/courriel/pourriel/
  www.ccs.uottawa.ca/email/spam/index.html
  

  
  
• If one of my courses gets cancelled or if I have to miss school because of H1N1, will my tuition fees be reimbursed?

  
  

  For now, we expect that students who come down with H1N1 will miss an average of one or two classes and that the academic session won't be compromised, so refunding tuition isn't necessary. However, if the situation changes, the University will comply with the directives of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities at that time.

  
  

Links

University of Ottawa Health Services

University of Ottawa Emergency Management and Recovery

Santé et Services Sociaux du Québec

City of Ottawa Health Services

Gatineau Health and Social Services Centre

Public Health Agency of Canada

Fightflu.ca

Video

Watch the video of the discussion panel H1N1 influenza: issues, responses and challenges of the flu pandemic. Is Canada ready? recorded on September 17 at the University of Ottawa.

The panel was made up of seven University of Ottawa experts and professors including:

• Amir Attaran, associate professor in the Faculties of Law and Medicine;
• Luc Bonneville, professor in the Department of Communications;
• Earl Brown, a virologist and professor in the Faculty of Medicine's Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology;
• Paul C. Hébert, Critical Care Physician at the Ottawa Hospital;
• Louise Lemyre, professor at the University of Ottawa's School of Psychology;
• Anne McCarthy, associate professor of medicine; and
• Kumanan Wilson, associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine.
  

Read their biographies.