GREENSBORO — A UNCG student tested positive for the H1N1 virus Thursday, university officials said.
The woman is in isolation at her Greensboro residence, which is off campus, UNCG officials said.
She is the first confirmed case of the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, in Guilford County.
The woman went to Student Health Services on Monday and was treated for flu-like symptoms, said Tresa Saxton, executive director of Student Health Services. A physician sent a blood sample to the state lab and instructed the woman to stay home and not go to class, Saxton said.
The student did not attend her summer school classes Monday or Tuesday, but went to class the next two days, Saxton said.
Student Health Services was notified of the lab results about 1:30 p.m. Thursday and advised the woman to isolate herself at home.
The patient is taking anti-viral medications, the county health department reported.
To address the incident, Chancellor Linda P. Brady sent a campuswide e-mail just after 4 p.m. Thursday. In the e-mail, Brady said the woman’s professor had been notified. Brady said any student with flu-like symptoms should report immediately to Student Health Services. If that facility is closed, students should go to the emergency room at Moses Cone Hospital.
The UNCG case makes 35 confirmed cases of H1N1 in North Carolina.
The condition of a confirmed swine flu patient in Rockingham County is improving, Glenn Martin, director of the county public health department, said Thursday afternoon.
There were two people in that person’s household who had symptoms. One is now symptom-free, Martin said, and the other is being followed by a health care provider.
Swine flu has hit more than 60 countries, with the United States reporting the most cases — more than 11,400, including at least 19 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC believes H1N1 spreads the same way as seasonal flu viruses. People with flu symptoms are advised to stay home and avoid contact with other people, except to seek medical care.
The symptoms of H1N1 flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue, according to the CDC. Some people also have diarrhea and vomiting.
Contact Jamie Kennedy Jones at 449-4610 or jkennedy@news-record.com
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