About the Study

• Study Abstract
• Research Design
• Important Messages
• M-FLU Team
• Our Partners
• Our Funding
• Volunteer
• Employment

Overall Objective: The overall objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of using non-pharmaceutical interventions to prevent the transmission of influenza in residence hall units at the University of Michigan.

Methodology:

• 5 residence halls are participating in M-FLU this year: Alice Lloyd Hall, Bursley Hall, East Quadrangle, South Quadrangle, and West Quadrangle.
• Participants in each selected residence hall will be assigned to one of the three study groups (Control, Face Mask Only, Face Mask and Hand Hygiene) according to which house they live in. Houses will be randomly assigned to the three study groups.
• The study will start when influenza is documented to be occurring in the University setting.
• All participants will complete one baseline, 8 weekly, and one exit online surveys. Baseline and exit surveys will include demographic questions, pandemic preparedness knowledge and attitudes, and health behaviors. Weekly surveys will ask about hand hygiene and illness symptoms and, for those in the two intervention groups, intervention usage.
• Participants assigned to Face Mask Only study group will wear provided face masks when in their residence hall for a minimum of 6 hours per day for the first 6 weeks of the intervention in addition to completing all online surveys for the full 8 weeks of the study.
• Participants in the Face Mask and Hand Hygiene study group will wear provided face masks when in their residence hall for a minimum of 6 hours per day for the first 6 weeks of the intervention and utilize provided alcohol-based hand sanitizer and complete all online surveys for the full 8 weeks of the study.
• All residents of the 5 selected residence halls are invited to provide specimens for virus identification when they experience Influenza Like Illness symptoms (illness with cough plus at least one of the following symptoms: fever/feverishness, chills, or body aches) during the 8 weeks of the study. Participants providing specimens will know whether or not they have influenza within 10-15 minutes with the use of new rapid flu tests.
• When participants or other residents in the five selected residence halls present symptoms that meet the definition of Influenza Like Illness (illness with cough plus at least one of the following symptoms: fever/feverishness, chills, or body aches) on online surveys or when providing specimens, they will be asked to provide information on up to five individuals with whom they had close contact who also appeared to be suffering from Influenza Like Illness or another respiratory illness.