Health Center advises on how to stay healthy during flu season

Chills, headaches, sore throat, runny nose, and high fever are just a few of the painful and irritating symptoms that hundreds of UNCG students suffered during this past month. During the last week of January and the first few weeks of February, over a thousand students came into the Student Health Center, almost half of them with the flu or flu-like symptoms. Other symptoms include fatigue, cough, muscle aches, upset stomach, and chills.

Flu season usually lasts from November until May and peaks a little after the New Year. This year that peak hit hard, bringing record numbers of students into the Health Center with these complaints.

"We have seen an increased number of students with influenza this season," said Dr. Eldaliz Fernandez, medical director of the Student Health Center.

In those three weeks, the SHS saw over 1,010 more patients than they did during the same time last year. Seven hundred and sixteen of those were walk in patients, of which there were only 127 last year. About 339 suffered from upper respiratory infections, including both the flu and flu-like symptoms, versus last year's 58.

Despite efforts earlier this year to prevent the spread of winter-time sickness like the flu, including hand washing programs and the distribution of hand sanitizers, the patients just kept pouring in. There were so many, in fact, that during the outbreak some students even had to sit on the floor while waiting to be seen.

One of the biggest causes of the problem was the fact that many of the patients had a particular strand of the flu, AH3-one that was not covered in this past year's flu vaccine. According to Dr. Fernandez, the strand was brought over to the U.S. from another country, just after the vaccine had been created. This issue made this flu season hard on not just UNCG, but also the entire Greensboro area.

Student Health Services hopes to prevent a similar outbreak from happening again next year and encourages students to do their best to watch out and stay healthy. While getting sick might not seem like an issue as the new school year begins, students should take initiative in fighting off future infections.

Jeanne Irwin-Olson, assistant director for Wellness Programs, recommends students get the influenza vaccine as an extra precaution.

The vaccine is usually available in early November, and for students, getting it is fairly easy. Simply stop by the immunization clinic in the Student Health Center and request the vaccination. While the price varies every year, it is usually no more than $17, which, it is said, is a small price to pay to keep yourself from feeling horrible during the flu season.

The other effort that the SHS strongly recommends is the simple act of washing your hands.

"The best way to prevent any kind of infection is really easy;" said Irwin-Olson. "Wash your hands. Most people don't wash their hands … if they wash them at all, they hurry."

If you do get the flu, there is not much that can be done. Antiviral medications can be prescribed near the beginning, but after that all that can be done is treating the symptoms. The doctors at the Student Health Center recommend over-the-counter fever reducers, lots of rest, and lots of liquids to stay hydrated.