What do I do if I get sick?

If you become ill with influenza-like symptoms, contact the Ashe Center, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. We will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed. If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people to avoid spreading your illness to others. This means stay out of class, do not go to work, and avoid public and social gatherings such as games, parties and Rush activities. You can return to regular activities when you feel better, have not had a fever 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines. Please read the description of mild vs. severe symptoms below to help determine the best course of action:

If you are sick with MILD flu-like symptoms, medical attention is not typically required, meaning that there is no need to make a doctor’s appointment or come to the clinic for evaluation.
Mild flu-like symptoms include:

• Runny nose or nasal stuffiness
• Low-grade fever for less than 3 days
• Mild headache
• Body aches
• Mild stomach upset

If YOU ARE experiencing any of the MORE serious symptoms listed below, call The Ashe Center at (310) 825-4073 to make an appointment; Nurseline is available to all registered UCLA students when the Ashe Center is closed by calling (866) 704-9660.
Serious flu-like symptoms include:

• Fever over 100° F with chills for three days or more with no improvement with fever reducing medication
• Rapidly worsening illness
• Person is unresponsive and unable to get out of bed
• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Severe cough
• Severe sore throat to the point of not being able to swallow fluids

If you have a new onset of cough and fever and are well enough to stay home, you should remain home for 7 days to lessen the chance of giving the illness to another person.

Treatment of H1N1 (Swine Influenza)

There are 2 prescription medications, called "anti-virals" to treat H1N1 swine influenza. The names of the medications are oseltamivir (Tamiflu™) amd zanamivir (Relenza™). Not everyone with an influenza-like illness needs to take anti-viral medication. The Ashe Center is following the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommendations with regards to prescribing anti-viral medication. The priority use for influenza anti-viral drugs during this outbreak will be to treat people with severe influenza illness and those at risk of severe disease. Ashe Center clinicians will use their clinical judgment to determine if you need anti-viral medications. You will be given priority if you have a severe respiratory disease with fever or if you are at risk for developing severe complications from your influenza-like respiratory illness.

• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Updated Interim Recommendations for the Use of Tamiflu
• More Information