Impact of the influenza A(H1N1) 2009 pandemic to the 17-25 year age group and to the students of the Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Introduction: In 2009 a novel A(H1N1) influenza virus emerged and caused a pandemic. The scope of this study was to identify the impact of the pandemic to the 17-25 year age group and to normal University function.Methods: a) Epidemiological data was obtained from the National Influenza Center for northern Greece, regarding the 17-25 age group. b) Absence records from the first semester of 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 were obtained from the School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a questionnaire was given to 100 medical students.Results and discussion: a) Two pandemic waves were identified; the first was during weeks 27-35 and the second during weeks 43-52.Of the 4949 examined samples, 1632 were confirmed pandemic H1N1 2009 infections (33%), and 362 (22%) belonged to the 17-25 age group. Of the latest, 53% were male and 47% were female. Most infections belonging to this group were mild, and developed influenza like illness (ILI) symptoms. Only 19% developed pneumonia or other complications and 2 were fatal. 4% was vaccinated against influenza and 2% against S. pneumoniae. Only 7% received Tamiflu treatment. 9% noted a travel history related to their infection. b) The second wave was synchronous with the 1st University Semester. However, no statistical difference between absence levels during 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 was identified and no students had reported ILI symptoms.Conclusively, whereas the 17-25 age group was indeed of the mostly affected from the pandemic, it seems that unexpectedly there was no impact to normal University function

Multicriteria integer zero-one programming : a tree-search type algorithm.

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