Durham, NC - www.duke.edu/flu " title="For more information about Duke's response to the flu, visit the Fight the Flu website at www.duke.edu/flu " class="image-left" width="400">

Because the arrival of more than 13,000 students, the advent of seasonal flu season and ongoing prevalence of the novel H1N1 virus will increase the probability of a significant outbreak of influenza at Duke, officials have established new guidelines for staffing and employee health.

The guidelines include requiring all staff who have flu-like symptoms to remain at home during the time in which they are contagious, specific requirements for receiving clearance to return to work and a temporary policy for the advancement of time off for staff who become sick with the flu and have exhausted all accrued time off.

"Because the vaccine for the H1N1 virus will likely be limited in supply and distribution, a large percentage of the workforce and student population will be susceptible to this novel strain of the flu, the symptoms of which are virtually identical to the seasonal flu," said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for Human Resources. "Prevention is our best defense to limit the spread of an outbreak."

The following guidelines have been established to help prevent a potential flu outbreak at Duke:

Experiencing Flu-Like Symptoms:

* Faculty and staff who have flu-like symptoms (distinguished by a fever of 100◦ F or higher, and may also include cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body ache, headache, chills, unusual fatigue, diarrhea or vomiting) should stay home during the period in which they are contagious and seek medical care as needed from their primary care physician or an urgent care clinic as necessary.

* Staff with flu-like symptoms should communicate directly with their supervisor in the same manner they would for any other illness. Staff with patient contact must also notify Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) at 684 -3136 opt. 2 or after hours at 684-8115, ask for EOHW Flu; Duke Raleigh Hospital staff should call 954-3952.

Temporary Time-Off Policy:

* Absences due to influenza will be covered under existing University or Health System time off policies, unless a staff member has exhausted all accrued time off.

* Duke will establish a temporary policy to allow benefits-eligible staff members who have influenza and have exhausted all accrued time off (PTO -- including short-term, long-term and carry over banks -- or Sick Time, Vacation and Discretionary Holidays) to receive an advance of up to 3 days of accrued PTO (short-term bank) or Sick Time based on their regular daily work schedule.

* The temporary policy will be effective from September 1, 2009, through March 31, 2010, and can only be used by a staff member once during this period. The policy will be reevaluated next spring to determine if it should be extended.

* Advanced time will be deducted from a staff member's subsequent pay period accrual for Sick Time or PTO until the balance returns to zero.
Additional communications regarding detailed procedures will be distributed to departmental HR and payroll representatives in the coming weeks.

Return to Work: (updated as of Sept. 14, 2009: see Fight the Flu site for updated guidelines).

* Consistent with current CDC guidelines, staff with patient contact who have flu-like symptoms must remain home for at least 7 days from symptom onset or until the resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer. All other staff must be free of fever for at least 24 hours before returning to work. Additional communication will be sent if CDC guidelines change.

* Staff must receive clearance from Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) prior to returning to work.

* Contact EOHW by e-mail at eohwflu@mc.duke.edu or call at 684 -3136 opt. 2. After hours, call 684-8115, ask for EOHW Flu; Duke Raleigh Hospital staff should call 954-3952.

* Departments will receive confirmation when staff have been cleared to return to work.

Vaccination:

* Free vaccinations for seasonal flu will be available to all faculty and staff this fall. The seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against the H1N1 influenza virus. A separate vaccine is being developed for H1N1, but it is expected to be available in late fall and only in limited supply.

* Seasonal flu vaccinations will begin with health care workers the week of Sept. 28. A detailed schedule will be communicated in the coming month.

* Seasonal flu vaccinations for all other faculty and staff will begin the week of Oct. 12 and continue until Dec. 3. A detailed schedule will be communicated in the coming month.

* H1N1 vaccine, once received, will be distributed based on criteria as defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Duke community members are encouraged to stay informed about the flu and Duke's response by visiting www.duke.edu/flu.