Written by Jessica Ardrey
The seasons are slowly changing, and with the turning of the leaves and the cooler weather comes the onset of flu season. Flu season generally begins in October and runs through April or May, with its peak lasting from December to March. It may still be a few weeks away, but Student Health Services is thinking ahead.Before the height of the season, Student Health Services takes certain measures to keep the student body updated. They keep a close watch on alerts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and make sure information is available about exposure, prevention and flu shots.Despite the fact that the H1N1 scare could be considered a thing of the past, senior nursing student Erin Mofield said there is still reason for students to be concerned.”The average college student’s life just puts him at risk for getting the flu, or really just sick, for that matter,” Mofield said. “Less sleep, eating unhealthy food, more stress; it just equals a lovely haven for the flu to flourish.”According to Mofield, the nursing department can get a little tense during flu season. Those in the department are required to get flu shots in order to participate in clinicals at St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock, but that is not their only worry. Because of their notoriously heavy workload, nursing students are “terrified” of getting sick.”I’m sure when it gets closer to that dreaded flu season time there will be plenty of hand sanitizer and Lysol spray floating around the nursing building,” Mofield said.However, Director of Student Health Services Lynn McCarty said it will take more than Germ-X and Lysol to ward off the flu.”Because the campus is a close community, we have the potential of having quite a few cases, so prevention is very important,” McCarty said.To keep the flu at bay, McCarty stressed “cough hygiene.” This includes covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, immediately throwing it away and washing hands often with soap and water. She also advises avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth, as this is a big way germs are spread. The basics also apply: avoiding close contact with sick people and not eating or drinking after others.Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.If students become ill with flu-like symptoms, McCarty said they should go to Student Health Services to be evaluated.McCarty said they also expect delivery of this year’s vaccine around the third week in October. It is effective against H1N1 and two seasonal strains and will be available at Student Health Services for $15.For more information, call (501)-279-4346.
