Eastern Shore Focus - Show # 83: The Swine Flu & Public Safety at UMES

By WESM News / Stephen Williams

PRINCESS ANNE, MD –

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Show Information:

Show Number: 83
Guests:
- Chief Warner Sumpter, UMES Director of Public Safety
- Mrs. Sharone Grant, UMES Director of Student Health
Subject(s): The Swine Flu & Public Safety at UMES
Original Airdate: Monday, September 28, 2009
Running Time: 29:00

Brief Synopsis:

Well, one of the biggest stories of 2009 has been the outbreak of the H1N1 virus, otherwise know as the "swine flu."

This particular type of influenza virus originated in pigs, but has now mutated in such a way that humans are now also vulnerable to it. And because it's so new, most people have no immunity against it - allowing the H1N1 virus to spread quickly around the globe. Thankfully, this version of the swine flu is relatively mild, and most people who come down with it are able to recover without medical help.

However, that's not to say the H1N1 virus is without risks. The World Health Organization reports that more than 300,000 cases of swine flu have been confirmed throughout the world, and more than 3,900 people have died from the virus - as of September 2009.

In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta cautions that people under the age of 25 are especially at-risk compared to older people.

And that means that schools and universities across the country have braced for the onslaught of the H1N1 virus. In some cases, schools have had to either quarantine students who have the illness, ask them to stay home - or close their doors entirely due to high numbers of illnesses.

We're going to discuss the issue of the H1N1 virus and how the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) is handling the situation - as well as other aspects of campus safety and security in this program.

Joining to discuss this issue is Chief Warner Sumpter, Director of Public Safety for UMES. And also Mrs. Sharone Grant, the Director of Student Health Services. And both of them are members of the Crisis Management Team at UMES.

This interview was originally recorded on September 24, 2009.

Additional Links & Information:

Flu.gov (A government portal with helpful tips regarding the flu pandemic): http://www.flu.gov/

UMES Department of Public Safety:
http://www.umes.edu/Police/Default.aspx?id=346

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 2009 H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu):
http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/

Google Health: H1N1 (Swine) Influenza Overview:
https://www.google.com/health/ref/H1N1+(swine)+influenza

WebMD: Flu Overview and Facts:
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/flu-overview-facts

Medline Plus (U.S. National Library of Medicine): H1N1 (Swine Flu) Portal:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/h1n1fluswineflu.html

Questions or Comments?

E-mail us: wesm913@umes.edu
Or call 410-651-8001