Carson Gulley Commons will be serving more than food if swine flu cases continue on campus.
UW-Madison housing officials, in conjunction with University Health Services, are providing students who are sick with the H1N1 virus with rooms on campus where they can recover and avoid spreading the virus to others.
UHS Executive Director Dr. Sarah Van Orman said although UHS urges students with the flu to go home, she is aware that many students on campus may be unable to leave.
She said UW Housing has provided several rooms on campus, like the basement of Carson Gulley Commons, students can use to isolate themselves, especially those who live in residence halls where they are always in close contact with others.
""This was all part of the plan because we knew that there were some students who couldn't leave,"" Van Orman said. ""So we knew we had to be able to provide an alternative.""
According to Mary Makarushka, UHS communications manager, housing officials provide students in these recovery rooms with a comfortable place to sleep and food and water to prevent dehydration.
""I know they have Popsicles, because they knew the students would be feverish … and they have Jell-O, which feels good when your throat hurts,"" she said. ""They even have a special food option for students who are vegetarians.""
Makarushka said students in the isolation rooms are usually just looking for a quiet place to catch up on sleep and usually leave as soon as their fevers reach normal temperatures.
""At UHS, we think of them more as recovery rooms than isolation rooms,"" she said. ""The students don't need a luxury hotel, they just want someone to care that they're sick, and they want a quiet place to sleep and get better.""
Van Orman said she urges students who are experiencing flu-like symptoms to stay home from Saturday's football game against Fresno State to avoid spreading the virus to others.
—Beth Pickhard contributed to this article.
