MCC takes flu precautions

Published 11:37 pm Friday, August 28, 2009

Meridian Community College isn’t waiting until a case of swine flu is reported among its 4,000-plus student body to plan a response.

Rather, a committee headed by MCC Vice President for Operations Barbara Jones has been working on the issue.

As of Friday, no cases of swine flu had been reported among MCC’s students or staff. However, Jones noted that other public schools, colleges and universities across the state had reported cases, and MCC officials desire to be proactive on the issue. Working with Jones on the committee are Soraya Welden, dean of students; Dr. Betty Davis, assistant dean for nursing programs; Terry Williams, physical plant director; Mike Allen, custodial director; Shane Williams, campus police chief; and Dr. Ray Denton, who heads MCC’s college promotions department.

“Mississippi State University recently reported over 200 cases,” Jones said, “so we can’t be so cavalier to assume that MCC will be totally exempt from swine flu. We obviously hope that will be the case, but we can’t count on that.”

Therefore, Jones said, MCC is taking steps to assist students and staff in avoiding contraction of the flu, if possible, and responding to it, if needed. MCC’s plans include:

• Providing containers of hand sanitizers in classrooms and other venues throughout the campus;

• Posting fliers and Web site notices, promoting hand-washing in restrooms and other areas;

• Preparing to disinfect and thoroughly clean dormitory rooms, should a student contract the flu, and relocating unaffected roommates;

• Advising students and staff who contract the flu to stay home for a week to 8 days, and counseling faculty to provide affected students with greater flexibility in regard to classroom attendance policies;

• Advising students to utilize Blackboard supplementary sites to keep up with assignments and class notes so that they won’t fall behind, if at all possible; and

• Regularly televising health tips, featuring MCC nursing faculty, on the campus’ Channel 12 network.

Jones said MCC’s physical plant staff had gone through training in regard to Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines in disinfecting for the swine flu, including learning how various disinfectants can counter infectious germs.

“A college situation is more complex than public schools because we have students in residence, so it’s a 24-7 consideration,” Jones said. “From what we understand about swine flu, it’s not something that necessarily has an established season, so to speak. We have to be alert for it throughout the year. We just want the community to be assured that we are doing all that we can to be proactive about this issue. At the end of the day, however, we believe the best thing any student can do is to be diligent about hand-washing and avoiding certain obvious situations, such as a fellow student with a pronounced cough.”