University on alert for flu-like symptoms

The University is asking any student who develops flu-like symptoms — fever, muscle aches and cough — to report to McCosh infirmary, three days after a suspicious powder found on a keyboard in the Frist Campus Center was removed by a hazardous materials team.

Meanwhile, Uni-versity officials are working with local and federal law enforcement agencies. Uni-versity spokeswoman Lauren Robinson-Brown '85 said that the FBI was on campus yesterday, briefing public safety officers as a precaution. The FBI has been conducting similar briefings around the state, Robinson-Brown said.

University officials said they do not believe that the powder in Frist contained anthrax, and they expect to receive definitive test results by the beginning of next week. Until results come in, University officials said they cannot rule out the possibility of anthrax exposure. Robinson-Brown stressed, though, that the situation on Monday night did not qualify as a "credible" anthrax threat according to state guidelines.

University Vice President for Finance and Administration Richard Spies GS '72 said that there is no conflict between the hazmat team's extreme caution — the worker who took a sample of the suspicious powder wore protective equipment — and the fact that the University waited until yesterday to warn students that they should report any flu-like symptoms.

A bulletin was posted on the University homepage at 9:15 a.m. yesterday advising anyone who develops flu-like symptoms to report to McCosh Infirmary.

...The infirmary is expecting to receive "flu kits" soon that will allow health care workers to determine right away whether or not a student has influenza.

According to University Director of Health Services Pamela Bowen, a positive flu test does not rule out the possibility that a patient might have anthrax. "Certainly, someone could have both," she said.

However, she explained that providing flu shots to students will be helpful in the coming months. Flu shots reduce the number of people who come down with troublesome symptoms that are very similar to those of inhalational anthrax infection.

Bowen explained that a variety of different factors weigh on the decision about how to treat a student who has flu-like symptoms. "It is not wise to give out antibiotics indiscriminately for a viral infection when we are not sure it is anthrax," she said.

Bowen explained that the University would not treat a student for anthrax "unless we have other signs and symptoms, such as X-ray findings, blood count findings or [a] history of being in an area where anthrax has been found.

"We are following CDC guidelines, and that is not to prescribe antibiotics unless we have a high index of suspicion that something is going on. Right now, we have a very low index of suspicion," she said.

Bowen said she first learned of the suspicious powder's disovery Tuesday morning. Asked why the University waited several days before warning students to report any flu-like symptoms, she responded, "I think we are all in a very new place, whether we be in the media, whether in law enforcement, in medicine — we need to work together to inform people."