At the request of the Ohio Board Regents, the College is currently developing a prevention plan to address any potential avian influenza outbreaks that may occur in Oberlin, the greater Cleveland area or in the United States.

As a result of that request, last spring, the College began working to solidify a plan to prevent and address a potential outbreak. The primary goal of the plan is to provide immediate medical treatment, information and communication with the College’s populous. The prevention plan is led by Diana Roose in President Nancy Dye’s office.

The college selected an advisory committee, representing various college departments, to spearhead prevention initiatives. The committee will be led by Provost Al MacKay and will consist of representatives from the following offices: President, Dean of Students, Student Health Services, Safety & Security, Residential Education and Dining Services, Human Resources and members of the faculty and student body.

The committee includes a liaison who will be in continuous contact with Lorain County Medical Director Dr. Paul Matus, the staff at Allen Medical Center and the Community Health Partners of Lorain.  This medical collective will provide ongoing support. 

Roose told the Review that addressing a potential breakout at the College is a multifaceted endeavor. Medical needs must be addressed, food has to be stockpiled in the event that the College is quarantined, information must be made available to students, faculty and staff and parents must be notified and appeased. Therefore, a variety of college departments must be involved.

“A large net [is] needed to be spread as not to forget one piece,” Roose said.

The prevention plan includes three response levels to outline the severity of a bird flu threat. Level one is reserved for confirmed cases of human-to-human viral transmission, level two is reserved for suspected or confirmed cases reported within the U.S., and level three is reserved for confirmed reports of viral infection in Oberlin or the greater Lorain/Cleveland area.

The College assures that in the event of emergency, “each response level has detailed training, action and notification plans and identified persons whose responsibilities are to ensure that every essential function is covered.”

Student Health Services has drafted a basic plan to address emergency. Should the need arise for mass hospitalization, infirmaries will be set up in Hales and Philips to house ill students. Right now, the department is continuously ordering additional materials needed to address the threat.  There has been some talk of establishing a core of student workers to help aid the sick.

“We can’t count on [the] hospital [Allen Medical Center] for treatment in the event of a full blown outbreak, so other arrangements have to be made for their [students’] care,” said Director of Student Health Laura Hieronymus.

As the possibility of epidemic increases, the prevention plan will disseminate information such as emergency response training sessions, posters, e-mail and web notices and a 24-hour nurse hotline, sponsored by the Oberlin College Center for Leadership in Health Promotion, whose aim is to foster awareness and education about avian flu.

A website is currently available with informational resources about avian flu such as instructions and links to other websites easily accessible. The goal is to keep the entire College community, including parents of students and alumni, educated in the event of an outbreak and up-to-date with the facts.

According to the World Health Organization, avian flu, similar to the seasonal flu, is a respiratory infliction that affects birds. In the past, these avian flu strains have mutated into pandemic flu strains that can be spread throughout a human population. The H5N1 strand offers the greatest potential for mutation and can easily cause death to human beings. To date, not much is known about the H5N1 strand.

Currently, all confirmed cases come from viral transmission from birds to humans. There is no confirmed case of human-to-human transmission, which would indicate that the virus had evolved into a pandemic form.  However, as more people contract the virus, it is more likely to mutate. Such a viral adaptation would make possible rapid human-to-human infection. The virus would be contracted much more easily, increasing the risk of a severe outbreak. 

Oberlin history informed the College’s current avian flu prevention plan. In 1918, the “Spanish flu,” a mutation of a bird flu virus, swept through the Midwest, taking millions of lives and leaving towns barren. Luckily, Oberlin only lost two lives. Now, the College is employing similar measures of prevention in its attempts to inform people about the preventative measures, secure quarantine spaces and isolation from potential threat from the outside.

In the event of an outbreak, students, faculty, and staff will be immediately warned and given the proper instructions for a course of action to minimize potential risks.   A toll-free number is expected to be available for any questions or concerns. 

 “It’s always good to be prepared. [But] In being proactive you can lose a lot of money by investing in possibilities. There are immediate department concerns to address. But it is assuring to know,” said College senior Meghan Lunne.

“Even if the need does not arise, this prevention plan can be used for other unexpected catastrophes,” said Roose.

Recently, finishing the project has been put on hold, but planning is expected to resume this module.