Enrolment and Freshers’ Week passed almost unaffected by the swine flu pandemic, contrary to previous expectations, according to figures released on Monday by the University of Lincoln.
A University of Lincoln spokesperson told The Linc that only four students contacted the university to say they would be delayed in starting the semester due to swine flu-related symptoms.
The university says the four students affected by swine flu had their arrival delayed only for a few days. Enrolment and Freshers’ Week went seamlessly for the thousands of new students at the university, which has just under 10,000 students in total across its campuses.
During September, 23 new cases of swine flu were registered by the Strategic Health Authority for Yorkshire and Humberside in North Lincolnshire. It is still expected that a new wave of the H1N1 virus will hit Lincolnshire in October, and up to 220,500 county residents could be struck down with swine flu this winter, according to a Lincolnshire Echo report.
Despite the limited number of swine flu cases at the beginning of the academic year, the University of Lincoln is wary that the worse may not have passed yet. The university is still monitoring the situation closely and has plans in place to manage any outbreak.
More information on the university’s advice for those struck down with swine flu and how to protect yourself can be found on the Portal (university log-in details required).