The sniffles in class, the coughing, the crumpled up tissues filling every trash can on campus. All of these are the tell tale signs of yet another flu season rolling in.
Every year students return back from winter break and inevitably spread germs from across the state. The result is common among college students and is typically referred to as the “college cold” or “frat flu” and makes its rounds in vicious cycles until spring time.
“We typically see a spike in cold and flu cases from December to March,” said a representative from the SUNY Cortland student health services office. “This year cases have been a little higher than in previous years but nothing that anyone should be overly concerned about”
In the post COVID-19 world there is more of a worry than ever before when it comes to public health especially in spaces such as college campuses. Students are often under the weather due to the lifestyle of a college kid.
“Many of us just don’t get a lot of sleep for one reason or another and there is never any shortage of stress,” said Brandon Root, a senior. “Everyone thinks they’ll be fine until they get sick one time and realize you need sleep to recover.”
The average college student gets around six hours of sleep according to a study done by the University of Georgia. When dealing with any sort of sickness this would fall under the recommended amount of sleep by about two and half hours.
As many as 73% of college students could deal with flu attacks during the course of the school year and the timing of it is never ideal. Students are often forced to miss class and alter deadlines for assignments as a result.
“So far this year between both semesters I have probably missed a combined 2 weeks worth of classes due to getting sick,” said Root.” Most professors are understanding but it’s never a given that you can change the due date and just adds stress to your plate.”
One of the hardest challenges with navigating flu season is attempting to cut down on the spread of the disease. With so many students crammed into small spaces on college campuses it seems almost inevitable to have sicknesses spread.
Public health officials echo the basics when it comes to preventing the spread of illnesses such as the flu. The most important thing that people can do especially to prevent the spread of the flu is simply to wash your hands and stay home if you are feeling sick.
“Along with those basic steps to take, the next best thing people can do is to simply get a flu shot before flu season starts,” said a representative from Cayuga Medical center in Cortland. “Studies show it is typically around 60% effective in preventing the illness and is even more effective if you get the vaccine before the winter gets into full swing.”
In New York State this year there have been over 400,000 reported cases of the flu with the peak of cases coming in the middle of February. While the worst of the flu season may be behind us it is always important to keep your health in mind and stay aware of preventing the further spread of illness.