Health officials ask students to take care of themselves

By Sage Tokach, Staff Writer

The campus health clinic is busy due to the large number of sick students.

In terms of numbers, the sicknesses have not been worse than previous years, said Laura Reinhardt, director of campus health clinic. But the campus health center has been able to see and treat more patients than before, averaging 90 patients per week.

Students who call or visit the clinic early in the day typically can be seen within a few hours, or at least that same day.

“If you start to run a fever or have chest pain or shortness of breath, you should avoid contact with other students and be seen by a provider as soon as possible,” Reinhardt said. “Also, if your symptoms last more than a week, come on in to be seen.”

In the meantime, the health clinic urges all students to help out their bodies by washing their hands frequently and staying well-rested and relaxed, as stress and sleep deprivation often prohibit the body from fighting off the common cold.

Flu symptoms include fever or chills, body aches, headaches, extreme fatigue, cough, runny or stuffy nose, and sore throat, according to etown.edu. If students begin to experience cold symptoms, they may start with a decongestant and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug like Advil.

The flu season usually peaks in January or February and can continue until the spring, according to lohud.com.

Viruses have hard outer shells that protect them and allow them to pass from person to person.

Warmer temperatures make this outer shell softer and cause the virus to die before it can spread from person to person, but cold weather allows this protective shell to stay in place and keeps the virus in the cold-spreading business, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Cold weather causes people to stay inside, more which can lead to the spread of viruses like the common cold and the flu, according to the Center for Disease Controls website, cdc.gov.

“I know the sicknesses are going around, so I drink lots of Emergen-C,” said Morgan Haney, music theater freshman. “That combined with sleep have kept me out of the health clinic so far this semester.”

Students can also stay healthy by wearing appropriate cold-weather clothing, washing hands, being aware of those around you, and staying hydrated, according to the CDC’s website.