Twenty Students Have Influenza; Some Cases May Be 'Asian Flu'

"Two-thirds of a ward full" of students are in Stillman Infirmary this morning suffering from influenza, according to John C. Wells, assistant physician to the University Health Services. The number of cases in the Infirmary last night was reported to be 20.

The Radcliffe Health Center also reported yesterday that it had admitted four patients suffering from "upper respiratory infection." Mrs. Patricia D. Muirhead, Head Nurse, stated that there would be no testing for Asian flu.

Throat smears of six patients at Stillman have shown that four of them have type A influenza. "Asian flu" is one of the varieties of influenza classified as type A.

"Although these cases are type A, further blood samples must be taken before we can make a diagnosis of Asian flu," explained Dr. Ch'ien Liu, associate in Bacteriology and Immunology, who is conducting the tests for the Health Services. They will not be completed until "some time next week."

In addition to the 20 cases in the Infirmary, it is known that "several mild cases, not serious enough for the Infirmary, are lying around outside," Wells said. He pointed out that some of the influenza patients had already been released from Stillman, since the disease lasts only for two to four days.