95 Oklahoma State Students Treated for Flu

News9.com

STILLWATER, Oklahoma -- At least 95 Oklahoma State University students have been treated for the H1N1 virus, a school spokesman confirmed Monday.

Three students contracted the virus during sorority recruitment events earlier this month. Since then, 95 students have been diagnosed with the flu, OSU spokesman Gary Shutt said.

Only 20 of the cases are active. The rest of the students have recovered.

The university is not sending any cases to the state health department for further testing. Since the seasonal flu is not active right now, all cases of the flu are assumed to be H1N1, otherwise known as the swine flu, Shutt said.

Shutt said there is no reason to panic, but students are being urged to take precautions like washing their hands and seeking treatment if they begin to feel ill.

Doctors say if you're showing flu-like symptoms, you shouldn't be worried if you're not tested for H1N1. All states, including Oklahoma will no longer specifically test for the H1N1 virus.

With no active vaccine out yet, doctors will treat people with flu-like symptoms as if they have the regular flu.

"If they test positive for flu right now, it is highly likely that it is H1N1," said Tulsa Co. Health Dept. Public Information Officer Melanie Christian. "Continuing to test is not really the most efficient use of resources. We're doing other things."

Health department officials said they only will test for the virus specifically in people that are hospitalized with flu-like symptoms and those who are at high risk for complications.