OPINION: Students should stay home when sick to avoid spreading illness
Close spaces like lecture halls contribute to spread of disease
Oftentimes, students feel the need to power through any illness they may contract to make sure their grades don’t suffer like they are. However, this puts others at risk of getting sick too.
October 1, 2019
Cold and flu season is upon us, and it is not likely to leave soon thanks to the rapid spread of sickness in residence halls. Dorms are the perfect space for germs to spread due to proximity and population density, increasing the chance for contagious illnesses to spread.
In order to avoid getting sick, or combat an illness if one arises, students should keep hydrated and eat foods with high amounts of vitamins, rest often and wash their hands thoroughly and frequently.
Another important strategy students should use to stop the spread of illness across campus is staying home from work and class when they are sick. Illness spread in residence halls can quickly spread to classrooms, so opting to stay home helps other students stay healthy.
“If you are ill, you should try to distance yourself from others so you do not spread your germs,” according to the Center for Disease Control. “Distancing includes staying home from work or school when possible.”
Many students may resent the idea of staying home from class for fear of falling behind in class. This is valid, as many professors are not willing to accommodate absences due to sickness, but many professors also hold office hours for students to seek extra help.
Regardless, students should prioritize their health and well-being and that of their peers over attendance in class.
In the cases where student absolutely must attend class for an exam or important lab, there are precautions that can reduce disease spread.
Medicines containing ibuprofen or acetaminophen suppress fevers. To contain germs spread via coughing and sneezing, students should make sure to cover their cough in their elbow, or better yet, students can also wear a medical face mask to keep their sicknesses to themselves.
Hand sanitizer and hand washing is effective for limiting the transfer of germs when in contact with hands. According to a study documented in the American Journal of Infection Control, symptoms and illnesses decreased in groups where students frequently used hand sanitizer.
“Reductions in upper respiratory-illness symptoms ranged from 14.8% to 39.9%. Total improvement in illness rate was 20%. The group with hand sanitizer had 43% less missed school/work days.” the Journal said.
Finally, students should get vaccinated in order to prevent contracting the flu in the first place.
According to the CDC, “The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year.”
Flu shots are highly effective at warding off illnesses. Coug Health Services will administer flu shots every Friday from Sept. 27 to Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Washington Building.
When sick with the flu or any other contagious illness, students should make the responsible choice and stay home. Illness already spreads quickly under the close quarters in residence halls, so students should opt out of large lecture halls and other classrooms and take care of their own well-being, as well as the well-being of their peers, and stay home.
Tod Merley • Oct 1, 2019 at 10:08 pm
The first thing you need to consider when looking at the flu shot is that no one has any liability for damage caused to you by this artificial inoculation attempt medical product. You need to consider this in the light of the fact that a new shot is produced every year. From a manufacturer standpoint “safety testing” is limited by time and by perceived need (no liability!).
Less than twenty percent of “flu like illness” is caused by the influenza virus. So I guess there is a one out of five chance looking at it that way with the flu shot.
In this years quadrivalent flu shot there are two Influenza A strains (A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus — A/Kansas/14/2017 (H3N2)-like virus) so in terms of raw numbers the possibility of getting the right A strain covered is 2/144 or one in seventy two. There are also two Influenza B strains (B/Colorado/06/2017-like (Victoria lineage) virus – B/Phuket/3073/2013-like (Yamagata lineage) virus). I have no idea how many lineages of B strain there are and, as these seem to be “as we find them”, I suppose no one else does either. Pick a number I guess.
For the strains covered the flu shot is perhaps as little as ten percent effective.
Good luck with all of that!
In today’s crazy world of corporate owned everything I believe that one is wise to do their own due diligence before using any treatment.
I believe that we can agree that vaccines need to be made safe so please help us all and do the following:
1. Obtain and CAREFULLY READ the Vaccine Package Insert proscribing information regarding the vaccine you intend to use. Look carefully at the “CONTRAINDICATIONS”, “WARNINGS”, “PRECAUTIONS” and “ADVERSE REACTIONS”. Pediatricians are legally required to provide the vaccine information statements for every vaccine they intend to have injected or otherwise administered[1]. As are all providers of vaccines. Pediatricians (and all other doctors) are required to report adverse vaccine reactions[2-3]!
2. Be sure to obtain all of the information required by 42 U.S. Code § 300aa–25 – Recording and reporting of information
3. Stand ready to use this information to issue any Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System ( VAERS see: https://vaers.hhs.gov/index ) report(s) needed to help us all and/or National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program claim (VICP see: http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/index.html ).
4. Please note that any claims will NOT be presented before a jury or even a judge as the vaccine producers and doctors cannot be held liable for injury. You will likely need a very good lawyer to obtain any compensation and it will likely take a very long time.
I think it would be wise to check out the VAERS reports coming in for the vaccine I intended to use as it may save you a lot of trouble and pain and all.
And again, please do your due diligence.
[1] 42 U.S. Code § 300aa–26 – Vaccine information
[2] (a) 42 U.S. Code § 300aa–25 – Recording and reporting of information
[2] (b) 42 U.S. Code § 300aa–14 – Vaccine Injury Table
[3] 42 U.S. Code § 300aa-1-34 – National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA) of 1986