Flu Hits East Coast Colleges; Harvard Escapes Worst of It

An outbreak of a disease with symptoms resembling those of the Russian Flu struck many eastern universities this past week and closed Georgetown University, but relatively few Harvard students have come down with the disease.

William B. Stot, dean of student affairs at Georgetown, said Friday. "We weren't hit by an epidemic, but absenteeism of about 50 per cent in classes Thursday persuaded us to close the university today."

There have been no proven cases of the Russian Flu at Georgetown. Christina G. McGinniss, head nurse at Georgetown student health services, said yesterday. But doctors have not been able to take throat cultures to test for Russian Flu because they have been too busy helping patients this week, she added.

Relatively few students have visited University Health Services here this past week and although many students have had viral respiratory illnesses, few actual cases of influenza have turned up, Dr. Sholem Postel, acting director of UHS, said yesterday.

Postel said influenza can be caused by different strains of viruses, such as Hong Kong. Swine or Russian. These strains are nearly identical and their symptoms are similar, so doctors can not readily distinguish between them.

Flu stricken students flooded Yale's infirmary this past week, Dr. Harvey Kaetz director of the Yale School of Public Health said yesterday.

Kaetz said he suspected but had not yet established that Russian Flu is involved.