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pandemic

H1N1 First Attacked in 1918 Under Alias of Spanish Flu

Evan Preminger  —  Sep 22, 2009

With each day, fear of the swine flu epidemic continues to surround campus. This year’s battle with H1N1 is not, however, the first that Cornell has encountered. In 1918 the Spanish flu, a similar strain of the H1N1 influenza virus, made its way through Tompkins County, claiming the lives of students, faculty members and citizens of Ithaca.

“The flu of ’18 was unique in that it had an effect on young adults, a fact that put students at risk,” said Barbara Hammond, a medical technologist who researched the impact of influenza on the Tompkins county population. “The infirmary was so overrun with cases that the University opened Cascadilla Hall as an emergency hospital.”

Volunteering Put on Hold

Megan Carney  —  Sep 23, 2009

Correction Appended

In an effort to reduce the spread of H1N1 between university and K-12 students, Ithaca City School District Superintendent Dr. Judith Pastel has indefinitely barred all college students, including those from Cornell, from volunteering in district classrooms.

The suspension began just five days after the start of ICSD classes, and does not include college students who are affiliated with the schools through Federal Work-Study employment, scholarship service requirements, or fieldwork placements for course credit.

Pastel believes the suspension to be a necessary precaution in reducing the spread of H1N1 between college students and the students and faculty of district schools.

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