The announcement came Tuesday after Student Health Services Director Alice Loper sent at least five students home with flu-like symptoms.

“None of the students who have been seen in Student Health Services have been officially tested for H1N1 since that test is only performed when hospitalization is required,” Loper said. “However, when flu symptoms occur this far in advance of seasonal flu, there is a high probability that these are H1N1 flu cases.”

Georgia College’s Pandemic Response Team will hold a series of flu forums. The first is scheduled on Thursday at 1 p.m. in Russell Auditorium for students, faculty, and staff. The topics include prevention, symptoms and treatments and how Georgia College is responding. Other forums will be announced in the near future.

“We encourage everyone to attend one of the forums to learn as much as they can about H1N1 to limit the possibility of infection,” said Dave Groseclose, Campus Emergency Operations Coordinator. “Georgia College along with other universities across Georgia are actively planning and developing procedures to mitigate the effects of H1N1 for its students, faculty and staff.”

To prevent the spread of germs, the Center for Disease Control recommends washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth, avoiding close contact with people who are ill and getting plenty of sleep.

Flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and occasionally nausea and vomiting.

“It is important that we do everything we can to ensure the health and safety of all members of the university community,” President Dorothy Leland said. "Our response team will continue to closely monitor the H1N1 flu situation and work closely with other key public health officials to stay abreast of any future H1N1 flu developments."

For more information visit Georgia College’s H1N1 (Swine flu) website at www.gcsu.edu/swineflu/.