Athletic Department prepares for H1N1

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the H1N1 virus can stay active for up to eight hours after being deposited on any surface by an infected individual.

That's more than enough time for a college athlete to grab the virus off a set of training weights, in a pre or postgame handshake, or off a shared water bottle.

H1N1 ran so rampant in Texas high schools that officials cancelled spring sporting events. Baseball, softball and track seasons ended early.

Bonnies head athletic trainer Kevin Blasczienski said the Atlantic 10 is currently not prepared to cancel athletics. The current policy states that programs capable of fielding a team must do so. Conference rivals Xavier, Duquesne, George Washington, La Salle have reported cases of H1N1. Almost all the campuses in the conference have said the virus is creeping closer and closer to their respective doorsteps.

"We have already begun taking steps to respond," Blasczienski said. "I've actually spoken to the schools (with outbreaks of H1N1). We try to stay in contact with them before traveling there."

While the university has already reported one case of H1N1, Blasczienski said there is a real concern that athletes on the road might bring the virus back with them.

"We don't plan on having anyone on the field with it," he said. "Ideally you're not going to have interaction with infected players."

But the virus' incubation period is usually between one and four days. It can be as long as seven days.

"I don't think there is any real way to counteract that," Blasczienski said. "I don't think you cancel all sports seasons because there is a chance that someone has it."

Sanitation procedures are already in place for shared athletic areas like the S.D. Boser Strength and Conditioning Room and Blasczienski's sports medicine room. Hand sanitizer dispensers are located in both.

Blasczienski went into action this summer before the athletes arrived, educating himself on the virus and its symptoms.

"I became worried immediately because we're working with athletes who have busier schedules than the general student," he said. "They're not getting as much sleep. Lack of rest can make you susceptible to illness. Right away I knew this was something we'd have to look into and be prepared for."

For Blasczienski, the best path to prevention is on the road of education.

"We're making sure they're not sharing water bottles, clothes or anything so they don't infect each other," he said.

The head trainer had information ready for the athletes about how to recognize symptoms and contain the virus when they arrived.

"If we have an infected person we're going to get them completely away from the team and off the busses," he said. "Other schools are doing the same thing."

The athletic department is working alongside St. Bonaventure's health services to prevent the spread of H1N1 on campus.

"We follow the university's policy completely," Blasczienski said. "We keep in touch with what athletes may have any flu symptoms."

Melissa Gallison Blackstone, director of health services, has encouraged isolation measures to halt H1N1's rapid spread.

"They're trying to encourage students who have symptoms to self-isolate," Blasczienski said. "And we're following those guidelines as well."

To safeguard traveling athletes, Blasczienski is working on providing a set of surgical masks to teams on the road.

"If someone comes down with symptoms on the road it's tough because they're on the bus and in the hotel room," he said. "They're in a confined space where it's easily transmitted."

Not one sports program in the A-10 has reported a significant outbreak of H1N1.

"The (programs) were very proactive in treating this before it became a real epidemic," Blasczienski said. "Hopefully we'll be able to keep it under control.