Last week, students received an email from the Health Center giving notice of an increase in cases of the flu this semester.
Commonly known as the “SLU Flu” among students, fever, nausea, aches and cold-like symptoms are common during the winter months on campus. Erin Casey, Clinical Director of Health Services, said an increase in cases at this time is normal, especially on college campuses.
She explained that the flu spreads quickly “probably because of the dormitory system. The flu is spread through moisture – in the air, on doorknobs and in showers.” In addition, according to a study by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, only 8-39 percent of students aged 18-24 in college get vaccinated for the flu.
This marked increase in cases is also part of a yearly nationwide trend. The flu is now widespread in 45 states, up from 36 states last week, but severity levels are lower than they were this time last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. “It’s not possible to say definitively at this time how severe the 2018-2019 season will be since there are still weeks of flu activity to come, but at this time, severity indicators are lower than they were during a similar time-frame last season,” the agency said in a release.
Casey’s advice to students to help stop the spread of illness was outlined in the campus wide email:
- Get your flu shot
- Wash your hands, and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you sneeze or cough
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
- Avoid contact with others you know to be ill
Despite regular precautions, however, students have still fallen victim to the “SLU Flu.” Quinn Audsely ’20 has suffered the flu on campus, and knows the kind of toll it can take on a college student: “When I was sick, I was trying to avoid missing class, but it got to a point where it was so physically draining to even walk across campus, and when I got to the health center, they had to send me to the hospital. It’s unfortunate that students feel they need to forgo their own health in order to avoid getting behind on work.”
If you do find yourself to be displaying symptoms of the flu, Casey suggests staying home to rest and prevent spreading germs, as well as drinking plenty of fluids, treating fever with over-the-counter medications and seeking medical attention. She says it is important to “rest until you are fever free for at least 24 hours without medication.”
Flu shots are available via walk-in appointments at the Health Center from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost is $25 and can be charged to students’ accounts. Health center walk-in hours are 9-11 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Fridays, or set up an appointment at 315-229-5392 if you believe you are becoming sick.