Robert Modzelewski

As the eighth week of spring quarter began on Monday, April 27, students and teachers alike were concerned with a new threat to public health: a strain of influenza commonly known as swine flu. On the previous Sunday, news outlets confirmed the strain was present in Mexico with 16 deaths attributed to it at the time. Now, with 19 confirmed deaths in Mexico as of May 3, swine flu is officially categorized as a subtype of influenza viruses known as H1N1. This subtype represents the most common cause of influenza in humans.

The World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and other international health authorities are all being cautious by implementing pandemic prevention strategies. The virus has spread to nations all over the world due to travel, and has been labeled as a category five by the WHO. This is characterized by human-to-human contact and is “a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent,” according to the WHO.

Although RIT has not been immediately affected by the swine flu outbreak, a few professors have had some experiences with it. While authorities and media outlets report increasing risks, some feel that the threat has been blown out of proportion. Dr. Robert Croog, a professor in the Communication Department, is a regular visitor to Mexico and has led students on numerous trips to the country. When asked if he was going to change his future plans to go back to Mexico, he replied, “No, I see no reason to alter my plans for July, but if I were there at the moment I may forego the usual hug and kiss.”

Croog noted, “I find that news in the US about Mexico is always highly exaggerated. The issue of drug violence which has cropped up along the Texas and Arizona borders with Mexico and in sporadic violence against law enforcement personnel is greatly hyped by the media here [in the US].”

Dr. Grant Cos, also a professor in the Communication Department, recently flew back from Mexico on Monday, April 27. Throughout his journey home, the outbreak was just gaining momentum and the signs were visible. The airport in Mexico had posted notices that reminded travelers to wash their hands. As he flew home, he expected to go back to work the next day, but this was not the case. One of his travel companions received a message informing them that they could have the day off. Then, as confirmed and suspected cases increased, so too did their days off. Cos did return to work, as he showed no symptoms of the disease.

Cos described his experiences further: “My family was in Mexico around Cancun last week [week of April 22] and there was not a story about the flu until the day before we left. There were no indications of people’s concern at the Cancun Airport on our departure from Mexico ... When departing in Atlanta, Georgia, we received no governmental notice other than a one-page piece of paper with a notification of swine flu outbreak in Mexico, where we just were.”

As for the recent hype, Cos noted, “Sitting in the Atlanta airport with a TV monitor at every terminal blasting CNN, it was the story. My perception, from being ‘in country’ and then out, was radically changed in coming back home to the US ... There was far less emphasis on the story when we were in Mexico.”

As graduation approaches, large groups of family members and friends will begin to arrive in Rochester, New York from numerous places around the world. Once graduation has passed, RIT will be able to truly determine the impact of swine flu on its community.