CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / STATEWIDE

College students should stop going to class and even miss examinations if they feel symptoms of the flu, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials told college administrators and students Thursday.

If an ill student lives close to home, he or she should strongly consider leaving campus -- preferably by private car or taxi rather than public transportation -- to stay with his or her parents until well, according to the newly released guidelines.

If students can’t return home, they should set up a “flu buddy scheme” with a friend, who would be able to bring in meals to the sick student’s room, to avoid infecting others with the flu virus, the CDC said.

The transmission of flu in the college setting is of concern in part because communicable diseases spread quickly, particularly in student housing areas.

-- Rong-Gong Lin II