By Staff Reports

It has recently come to the attention of the editorial board of The All State, and apparently the rest of campus as well, the H1N1 virus, also known as ‘swine flu’, is a hot topic on campus as well as worldwide.

While some of us believe it is encouraging that APSU is nipping the issue in the bud, others are concerned it may be blown out of proportion.

Why is the H1N1 virus currently such a major concern? According to APSU’s Web site devoted to the virus, the World Health Organization declared H1N1 to be a pandemic June 11, 2009. By definition, a pandemic is a disease prevalent throughout an entire country, continent, or the whole world, or an epidemic over a large area. Cases of H1N1 have been reported all over the world, and as flu season approaches, the masses are preparing for the worst. The Web site pointed out the pandemic was declared because the illness is widespread, not because it has become any more severe than it was previously.

The question is: How worried should we be? In comparison to other strains of influenza, H1N1 is not significantly different. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is simply the most dominant flu virus in the world at this time. The major symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

Many cases have also reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. We’ve surely all experienced a few or all of these symptoms at some point in our lives, and the majority of us have most likely contracted some form of the flu. Does this sound deadly?

We at TAS feel that the students and faculty/staff of APSU should not panic. True, extra hygienic and health precautions should be taken, but this time of year brings those kinds of worries anyway.

We are impressed that APSU has stepped up and created a task force to deal with the matter, but we believe students should be informed, not paranoid. The bathrooms on campus are filled with fliers proclaiming the importance of hygienic practices. These are common sense tasks that mature, educated adults should all be practicing anyway.

The paranoia has escalated so far as to lead to the termination of employment, and even rude glances from classmates for a simple runny nose. According to Boyd Health Services on campus, no confirmed cases of H1N1 have been reported at APSU.

There are also several other diseases and illnesses just as pressing, if not more, as H1N1, that should not be ignored.

Students should be on their toes regarding all illnesses that impact people gathered in large groups. H1N1 may be serious at the time, but more fatal diseases can sneak up on us if we are too absorbed in a possibility.

APSU students have surely heard about the issue through their professors. Students are even allowed excused absences if they contract the illness. This is very generous and wise as far as quarantine purposes go, but chances are it will be severely abused.

Another important aspect of the H1N1 virus is its vaccine. The CDC reports the vaccine is being developed and should be available in the fall, and the vaccine provided for other strains of the flu is not expected to help prevent H1N1.

In a poll of the editorial board, only three of the 11 members said they plan on getting vaccinated for H1N1 if it is available for free. This is not a very high number. Perhaps we are afraid of the risks of such a new development.

We believe this is not an issue to be laughed at, but there is also no reason to become an overnight hypochondriac.

We should all take measures to keep ourselves clean and healthy, but continue to live our lives this semester without fear of impending doom.

Tell us what you think about the H1N1 vaccine by voting in our online poll at the right.