Flu season typically starts in October and ends in or around April. With this year’s flu season at hand, are you familiar with key aspects of influenza, as well as new recommendations and best practices for prevention and treatment?

Flu spreads directly or indirectly from airborne droplets produced during sneezing or coughing. The flu viruses are highly contagious and can be very serious. It can cause severe illness in people of all ages, including children. Those individuals who have compromised immune systems as well as the elderly and the young are mostly at high risk for complications associated with the flu. This includes people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, and children younger than 5 years, but especially those younger than 2 years old. Those complications can be sinus or ear infections to pneumonia as a serious complication that can be life-threatening and cause death. Myocarditis, encephalitis, organ failure, and sepsis are more serious complications associated with the flu. Most people who get the flu will recover in a few days to less than two weeks. Influenza viruses type A and B are typically responsible for seasonal flu epidemics yearly.

PREVENTING THE FLU

• The first line of defense in avoiding the flu is getting a yearly flu vaccine. Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine before the flu becomes active in their community. The flu vaccine used in Health Services for students, faculty and staff is the quadrivalent vaccine which is designed to target four types of influenza.
• Keep your hands away from your face! Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs are spread that way. Cover your coughs and sneezes with the bend of your arm or a tissue to cover your nose/mouth. If you use a tissue, throw it away and wash your hands with hand sanitizer or soap and water.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially before eating. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects regularly that may be contaminated with germs like the flu. Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs, such as wiping down doorknobs, light switches, shopping carts, remote controls, computers, desks, and cell phones are some examples of germ-infested items that can cause you to get sick. 
• Avoid close contact with sick people, and if you are sick, limit contact with others as much as possible to keep from infecting them. 
• If you are sick with flu-like illness, CDC recommends that you stay home!  You should stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medication.

Is It a cold or the flu?
It can be tough to tell the difference between a cold and the flu. Use this chart to help check your symptoms. If you even think it’s the flu, seek medical attention in the first 48 hours of flu symptoms to prescribe an anti-viral to shorten the length of the virus.

It should be noted that some may have nausea/vomiting/diarrhea; however, this is more common in children than adults.
If you have any of these symptoms, please seek medical attention within the first 24-48 hours of illness. It is important that you seek medical attention to get a prescription for anti-viral.

Treatment
If seen within 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms, an antiviral drug, such Tamiflu or Xofluza. These medications are only prescribed within the first 48 hours after the onset of symptoms. These drugs can be used to treat the flu; they are different than antibiotics. Antiviral drugs can make the flu milder and shorten the time you are sick. They can also prevent other serious flu complications.
Stay home! Do not come to classes until you are without fever for 24 hours without the use of anti-fever medication, such as Tylenol.
Make certain that you see the nurse and/or communicate to your professors/instructors via email for excused absences.

Allergy forms are requested for students that have a significant history of anaphylaxis or severe allergic reactions.

Hallmark Dining Services, our cafeteria partner, has a program designed to ensure students with food allergies receive a nutritional diet. The EatSafe program can be established at any point during a student’s enrollment. For more information, contact Seth Lawrence at slawrence@rio.edu.

On designated dates, the Portsmouth City Health Department provides free HIV and STD testing. Dates are announced in advance and are typically offered twice a semester. No appointment is needed.

Get involved in regular cardio exercise
for 30 minutes five times a week such as walking, swimming, running or any other activity that increases your heart rate.

De-stress by deep breathing and stretching exercises
Two to three times a week stop into one of our meditation rooms located around main campus and in our regional centers.  

Get plenty of sleep!
This is very important in every aspect of your life!! As a college student, it is recommended that you log six to eight hours per night.

Take five!
Take time out every half hour to stretch, walk around, or deep breathe if you are working at a computer.

Drink plenty of water
Dehydration can make you more vulnerable to illness and infections, therefore, it is important that you down plenty of non-alcoholic fluids. And if water isn’t your thing, juice, tea, and other beverages will work as well.

Utilizing your BFFs
Having the right friends and someone to talk to and count on is extremely important for your mental health. Seek out groups and activities that will attract new friends who will be supportive of you and vice versa

Eat your fruits and veggies
A good rule of thumb is to make sure that half of your plate is filled with fruits and vegetables as these foods are bursting with nutrients that help keep infection and diseases at bay.

Fight the flu
Get a flu shot to avoid being laid up this year for a week with fever and sickness. This vaccine is made available to each residential student and all Gallia County students in mid- October here at URG. Being a college student, you often are in close quarters with roomies and classmates, so make sure you get that flu shot!!

Back off the alcohol
Alcohol has empty calories and is a risk factor for accidents, injuries and regrettable risky behaviors. Once you turn 21, try sticking to the recommended daily limit of no more than two beers or glasses of wine for men and one for women.

Kick the bad habits!
Rub snuff, smoke cigarettes, or do other drugs? STOP!! All these can impose serious health threats so start kicking those bad habits today. Talk with your healthcare provider for assistance or check out your local health department