"Stay out of the cold, you're going to get the flu!"
Sound familiar? Of course it does - it's part of a vast parental conspiracy to keep kids inside in the winter, so parents themselves don't have to go out and watch their little ones frolic in the snow. Just the thought of the achy, stuffy misery that accompanies the influenza virus is enough to keep eager young snowmen-builders and tobogganers indoors.
Of course, the flu is spread by germs shared person to person, says Daniel Bruey, director of the Student Health Center. As temperatures drop, people spend more time indoors, heaters turn on and windows shut. Germs and bacteria can run amuck, especially in cramped and musty dorm rooms, which is why the incidence of the flu and flu-like symptoms is higher during this time of the year.
Junior Daniel Shapiro knows the benefits of getting out of the dorm room when he senses illness approaching. When asked about what he does to prevent getting sick, Shapiro described an effective regiment: "Work out, sleep a lot, shower every day and try to get out of the room every now and then." Somehow, the fresh Tenleytown air can do wonders.
The college lifestyle is like a playground for airborne germs that spread the flu. Students share things like food, cups, computers and rooms, allowing more than ample opportunity for sharing germs as well.
The flu virus is spread through respiratory droplets that escape in a sneeze or cough from an uncovered mouth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And even stifled coughs and sneezes can pass germs from unwashed hands to doorknobs or telephones, and infect multiple people in the process.
In addition to the intimate nature of college life is the never-ending cycle of parties and events that keep students distracted from homework as well as their health.
"I take medicine immediately upon being suspicious that I'm sick, and choose skipping events over getting sicker," said Erie Meyer, a junior in the School of Communication. Avoiding just one all-nighter or party binge can make a huge difference when a cold is coming.
D.C. has had a low incidence of the actual influenza virus this season compared with other states, according to the CDC, which tracks reported cases of the flu each week. Bruey, the Student Health Center director, said this could be accounted for by mild weather this winter, which has allowed people to spend more time outdoors.
The shortage of the flu vaccine this year caused some people to think the flu epidemic to be especially severe this year, because the vaccine would only be available for those at the highest risk, like senior citizens. But this has not had a negative effect on students at AU, according to Bruey.
"A lot of students come in and present with symptoms of the flu, which is nothing unusual for this part of the year, but it is no more than normal in comparison to other years," Bruey said.
Practically every college student has some experience with being sick while in school. The first time there's no one around to excuse you from homeroom or soccer practice can be traumatizing to the average freshman.
"Getting sick at home is like a holiday. Getting sick at school just makes everything you have to do ten times harder," Meyer said.
Some experiences with illness are pretty harmless.
"[The first time I was sick at school] was a great two-day ordeal wherein I woke up every four hours to throw up. I just slept and was delirious. I wasn't even that miserable," said junior Fred Bane.
On the other hand, some experiences can leave a poor student in agony. Meyer's first illness at AU had her running back and forth between the Health Center and the emergency room at Sibley Hospital, where she was CAT-scanned, in an epic ordeal that eventually revealed her illness to be a common cold.
"Instead of having tea and napping, I'd been sitting in an emergency room watching people with severe head trauma being wheeled around," Meyer said.
While being sick at school can seem like the end of the world - and if you blow off a week's worth of responsibilities it very well may be - there is still hope. You can call your mom and dad for a reminder of lying on your sofa at home with a blanket. And you can indulge in the best food TDR has to offer - no one will blame you for eating three waffles with ice cream when you're feeling bad.
Check out the sidebar for tips on staying healthy.
