In the fall 2009 semester, UBC told students that it was their responsibility to help minimize the spread of the H1N1 pandemic sweeping the globe.

Since the start of 2010, it seems as though the H1N1 concern on campus has died down. Two remnants of UBC’s response to the H1N1 epidemic remain: Purell hand sanitizer dispensers at every doorway, and the online “declare absence” system. Although the benefits and drawbacks of hand sanitizers are generally agreed upon, the effectiveness of the influenza-like illness (ILI) online self-reporting system is still unclear.

Starting last term, students were given the option of declaring absence from classes and exams due to influenza-like illness online through the Student Service Centre (SSC). According to the SSC, this was done “in an effort to encourage students to stay home and avoid public places when exhibiting [influenza-like] symptoms.” Students could simply click a “declare absence” button when they fell ill and expect to have their assignments and exams deferred.

It is unclear how effective the system was in preventing the spread of H1N1 throughout UBC. It is certain, however, that students have taken advantage of the self-report system to get more time to study during last term’s midterm and final season.

“A midterm every day? You’ve got to be kidding me,” said one student, who wished to remain unnamed, in a discussion with The Ubyssey. “If there’s a way right in front of me allowing me to get out of three exams in less than three days, why shouldn’t I?”

Another student talked about her frightful, yet successful, experience getting past the SSC self-report system. Her professor asked to see a doctor’s note after she missed a midterm by reporting an ILI online, or her grade would be a zero.

“There was no illness,” she admitted, “so getting a doctor’s note was problematic.”

Eventually, she managed to convince the professor that according to UBC policy, a doctor’s note was not a requirement when it came to flu-like symptoms. “But it was too much of a close call. I’m not risking that again.”

There is no doubt that 2009 was a unique year for the flu at UBC. According to Dr Patricia Mirwaldt, Director of Student Health Services (SHS) at UBC, “In the fall of 2009, the SHS saw twice as many students for influenza-like illness as in [the fall of] 2008.” 922 students were diagnosed with ILI by the SHS from August 1 to December 31, 2009.

Dr Mirwaldt was quick to note that once the ILI online reporting form was introduced, SHS saw the number of in-clinic cases drop by 25 per cent. Evidently, the ILI reporting system was at least partially successful in its goal of encouraging students to “self-isolate.”

However, since the advent of the self-report system, stories have been circulating around campus about widespread student abuse of the system. According to Marc Johnston, Associate Director of Records, Registration & Student Information Services, 4348 students declared absence due to ILI during the fall term. But of those 4348 declared absences, 1008 of them were in effect during the December exam period. Almost a quarter of the cases of ILI declared online happened in the span of 14 days.

In terms of the number of physician-reported cases of ILI, the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) reported very little change during the month of December. In fact, from December 13 to 19, there was a 6.1 per cent decrease in the number of patients diagnosed with ILI compared to week of October 25 to 31. According to the BCCDC, influenza levels for the month of December were low. But according to the students of UBC, levels of ILI were high.

It’s not the first flu scare

UBC has seen its fair share of flu epidemics, and has handled each one differently.

On October 14, 1918, The Province reported on a Spanish Influenza epidemic so severe that a portion of the UBC campus, then located in greater Vancouver, was taken over by the Vancouver General Hospital due to overcrowding at other hospitals. Reports from the time indicate that 400 UBC students agreed to pass a motion to close the university “until such time as the medical authorities [had] the epidemic under control.” On October 20, 1918, the university closed for five weeks, which delayed winter exams until February 1919. The Spanish influenza epidemic resulted in the death of three UBC students.

The “swine influenza” of 1976 was predicted to peak on campus in the fall of 1976 and affect those from the 20 to 40 age group the most. Although the need for inoculation at the time was emphasized, only an estimated 50 per cent of that vulnerable group sought vaccinations.

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