Posted at: 05/14/2009 6:52 PM
Updated at: 05/14/2009 6:55 PM
By: Eric Kahnert, Eyewitness News 4; Charlie Pabst, KOB.com

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UNM student tests positive for H1N1

The 19-year-old from Las Cruces says the past week has been hell for him, especially since it’s finals week.

He got a very unexpected call Wednesday from UNM Hospital. "They said you tested positive for H1N1 virus," the freshman said.

Maurer says he started feeling the symptoms last week: “I was just sitting in class and it automatically hit me: I started getting sweat beads, like a lot, and hot flashes in class, felt like I was going to pass out, but I was taking an exam so I had to finish it.”

He went to the emergency room where he says he was given an IV to re-hydrate and get his fever down.

Wednesday, he got results confirming he has H1N1.

Maurer went to Mexico two months ago for spring break, but doesn’t think he got the virus there.

A news release sent by UNM says Maurer has recovered and is now well. Maurer says that’s not quite true. He says his symptoms linger, "Still achy joints, battling headaches all the time."

He says he is mostly worried about his grades. “[I’ve] missed a lot of classes, got a lot of absences. In my English class, I’m going to get 10 percentage points dropped at the end of the school year,” he said.

Due to the confirmed case, UNM says there will be no handshakes at the graduation ceremony this year, which will also have hand sanitizer stations available.

The school is asking sick students and staff to stay home and to leave campus after finals or graduation.

Maurer says after he got sick, 15 other students at Hokona Hall and other dorms also came down with flu-like symptoms.