Current Release: September 11th, 2007 | Vol. XXIV Iss. 10

Students are sick of being sick

By Heather templeton

Heather Templeton

Dozens of vacant desks have been found across campus, leaving students curious who will be the next one taken out.

The flu virus has quickly swept over the nation and hit hard here at home, forcing students and faculty to battle the debilitating effects.

Director of Health Services Mary Cureton explained that she did not need numbers to prove that this has been a busy flu season. It is nearly impossible to put a number on the flu stricken students on campus because so many of them choose not to visit health services.

The term “epidemic” has been cautiously thrown around by news teams and doctors in recent weeks.

Cureton confirmed that this season’s case, at least at VWC, could be classified as an epidemic.

The medical definition of an epidemic, she says, “is something that happens more than usual. If the usual was only one case, then having two cases could be considered an epidemic.”

Cureton is connected to a network of Health Services departments in colleges and universities in the area and says she’s hearing that this campus is not the only one being hit hard.

Some universities are canceling classes and quarantining campuses in hope of stopping the rapid spread of the viruses.

It was rumored that Shenandoah University had already been shut down due to the flu. However, freshman student Megan Cheresnowsky reported that the campus was hit hard, and it was announced that if five more people came down with the flu, they would cancel classes and shut down school.

“Then it ended up being if two more people, etc. But nothing ever really happened,” Cheresnowsky said.

University of Virginia’ executive director of the school’s Elson Student Health Center, Dr. James C. Turner, reported to the Associated Press last week that they had treated 445 cases of the flu since mid-January.

Most students dramatize their illness to an extent, but the flu is no laughing matter. According to the National Library of Medicine 5 percent to 20 percent of Americans will get the flu each year and 36,000 people will die of the effects.

“The flu is like a cold on steroids,” Cureton said of the symptoms students are coming in with.

The main concern is telling the difference between a cold and the flu. The U.S. Department of Health has a few ways of differentiating between the two.

A cold is often associated with low or no fever at all, slight aches, some fatigue, stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat and mild to moderate chest discomfort and coughing.

The flu is much more serious with a high fever (usually within 100 degrees to 102 degrees or higher and lasting three to four days), headache, severe body aches, fatigue lasting up to two to three weeks, extreme exhaustion and some severe chest discomfort.

Freshman Caitlin Barth explained her flu symptoms: “It was kind of like growing pains. My body felt like it was stretching itself out.”

Barth’s other symptoms included high fever, dizziness and exhaustion. Though feeling better, she has felt the effects of the virus well after a week of its onset.

The virus does not seem to have a pattern of attack but goes after everyone it can. Residence halls, sports teams, sororities and fraternities are all being hit hard.

Village I residence adviser Sheena Hill, Nickole Bennet and Owen Davis all report having at least one person on their hall who has felt the effects of the virus.

Kathy Kern, RA from North, said that she had referred four residents to the nurse after hearing their complaints.

Cureton said that living on a residence hall is like living with 25 other family members.

Hill described the symptoms of one of her residents saying, “her body would be hot, but she would be freezing.”

“When everyone comes back from winter break their bringing with them germs and viruses from where they’ve been,” Cureton said.

This time of year is so susceptible to being flu season because the cold brings everyone indoors and in close quarters.

The flu will spread through the air while the cold is mainly spread through touching objects.

Cureton stressed the importance of using the precautions of sneezing in a sleeve, to avoid spreading the virus into the atmosphere.

Because of a college student’s busy lifestyle, fueled by lack of sleep and high amounts of stress, they are extremely susceptible to catching the flu.

Students need to focus on preventing getting sick by keeping their immune systems up, Cureton said.

Students think that getting by on a lack of sleep is “expectable.” In order to keep their immune systems high, students need at least eight hours of asleep at night.

The difference between a student who only contracts a small cold and the severe flu depends on how well their immune systems are explained Cureton.

To prevent contracting the flu, students follow a nutritious and balanced diet, get plenty of sleep and rest and take a multi-vitamin.

The best method of prevention however, is receiving the flu vaccine in the fall. Most students feel they are “indestructible,” said Cureton. Regardless, students need to consider preventing from the sickness.

The flu season will continue through the rest of the winter into March or early April. So far, the flow of students coming into Health Services with symptoms has not slowed down. With students seeking preventive measures, the waiting room lines may soon begin to shorten.