The H1N1 virus could infect between 15 and 35 per cent of the Canadian population, according to a prediction from Health Canada.
That means anywhere from 5,985 to 13,966 Concordia students run the risk of becoming infected, according to enrolment statistics provided by the Institutional Planning Office at Concordia.
The virus, originally called swine flu, is entering its second stage of development, which accounts for the increased expected rate of infection.
“It’s a new, novel virus, and we don’t have a base immunity to it,” said Darren Dumoulin, senior adviser for emergency management at Concordia. “If the virus mutates, it can go both ways: it can mutate itself out of existence or turn into something really nasty.”
As students prepare to begin a new year, school administrations across the country are faced with tackling the threat of a flu epidemic head-on.
In an effort to ensure the student population is as informed as possible, the university has issued a series of statements online.
One part of Concordia’s plan to avoid an epidemic involves urging students who feel sick to stay home.
