As flu season hits full stride, students across campus are falling ill. What is behind the rise in sickness, and how can students protect themselves from falling victim to the next round of illness?

According to Samantha Steinmiller, the nurse for Health Services at Waynesburg University, the flu is not the only thing to be worried about heading into this spring.

“Flu-A is what we are prominently seeing. A little bit of COVID, a little bit of norovirus, but we are seeing a lot of cases of Flu-A,” Steinmiller explained.

In fact, Flu-A, a particularly contagious strain of the flu virus according to Steinmiller, has been making its rounds this year, and it’s hitting students hard. As found at my.cleveland.clinic.org, unlike some of the other viruses circulating, Flu-A often comes on suddenly, with symptoms like fever, body aches and a persistent cough that can keep students out of class for days. 

One such communications major at Waynesburg, Dean Shazer, fell victim to the flu and had been battling it for over a week.

“When I had the flu, I had extreme body aches but never really threw up,” Shazer said. He mentioned how he was unable to eat solid food as well as having throat pain along with a cough that lingered for a week.

Those are typical flu type symptoms. With these illnesses spreading quickly across campus, it’s essential that students take proactive steps to safeguard their health. 

Steinmiller stressed the importance of maintaining good hygiene practices as the first line of defense. “Washing your hands is a big one, and not touching your face,” Steinmiller said when asked how to maintain health at this time.

Beyond personal hygiene, students also need to be mindful of their overall health and wellbeing. In alignment to the NIH (National Institutes of Health), maintaining a balanced diet, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly can help bolster the immune system and better prepare the body to fight off infections and illness.

 For Waynesburg, Steinmiller urges students to stay away from social gatherings if sick, and as hard as it may be for some, not to go to class if it is severe.