In response to a decreasing number of reported H1N1 cases, McGill is ending pandemic-related activities prompted by H1N1 influenza.
The decision followed the announcement from the Quebec Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports, which stated that pandemic-related activities can now be discontinued.
"H1N1 at this point seems to have died down, and we're not seeing much flu," said Dr. Pierre-Paul Tellier, director of McGill Student Health Services.
As a result, absentee reporting has returned to normal, and the online self-reporting system has been removed.
The first incidence of H1N1 declared through the self-reporting system occurred in mid-November. The system was in place for roughly three months, and served as a mechanism for sick students to report symptoms of H1N1 to the Student Affairs Office or Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office. After self-reporting, students had the equivalent of a doctor's note for nine days, without putting pressure on McGill Student Health Services or the clinical system in Montreal.
Reported cases peaked in early November. Over 2,000 students used the online system to report symptoms of H1N1 during the three months that the system was operational.
Other universities have also begun to remove online absentee reporting systems for symptoms of H1N1.
"In the new year, we looked at [the number of reports] and … we ended up going back to our regular reporting," said Lori Lewis, a spokesperson for the University of Windsor.
"We were surprised and very satisfied that our numbers weren't higher," Lewis said. "We didn't have nearly as many faculty or students out as we thought we might."
Temporary installations, such as hand sanitizers near entrances and exits, will also be removed.
"Hand sanitizers should not be considered replacements for hand-washing, and multiple locations for hand-washing are available throughout all our buildings on all our floors," said Jim Nicell, associate vice-principal university services.
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