While walking around campus, it is not rare for Longwood students to come across others stricken with a cough, a sneeze, a runny nose or a high temperature. Knowing the differences between a cold and a flu and knowing how to keep oneself healthy during flu season are essential during these last few weeks of the year when missing a day of class becomes more and more difficult as finals are closer than ever.
In January 2011, The Rotunda interviewed Director of Student Health and Wellness Center, Margo Potts, about the flu season. Potts noted that "mid-January through the end of February is the typical time when the uptake in flu cases is reported."
Emphasizing sleep, exercise, the elimination of stress, not sharing another's drink, and covering one's mouth with a tissue or elbow when sneezing or coughing, Potts advised students to not only utilize these characteristics, but to also get an annual vaccine, describing it as "the best treatment [of] prevention."
The website WebMD suggested, "With soap and warm water, vigorously rub your hands together for 20 seconds; don't forget between your fingers and around your nails. Rinse and dry thoroughly." WebMD also noted alcohol-based hand sanitizers as a combatant of germs.
The WebMD website also said to keep a good diet to better sustain one's immune system. "One nutrient that's found to strengthen the immune system so it can fight other infections is glutathione. This powerful antioxidant is most plentiful in the red, pulpy area of the watermelon near the rind. Glutathione is also found in cruciferous vegetables like kale, collard greens, broccoli, and cabbage." Eating protein is also another suggested dietary product helpful to combating winter illnesses. Also, if stricken with the flu or a cold, avoid dairy products as they can make nausea and vomiting worse.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Women's Health reported, "The flu is an illness caused by the flu (influenza) virus … [and] can sometimes lead to other problems like pneumonia, ear and sinus problems, dehydration, [or] worsening of asthma … "
WebMD reported that "The flu is actually very different from a cold. While more than 100 different viruses can cause a cold, only influenza virus types A, B and C cause the flu."
If one is unsure of what the differences are between a cold and the flu, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services described each as unique to the other. For a cold, symptoms such as a fever, headaches and other general aches, and extreme exhaustion are rare. Common symptoms of the cold include a stuffy nose, sneezing and a sore throat. Preventing a cold, keeping good hygiene by washing one's hands is the best way to prevent catching the illness, while treating the cold is best done through antihistamines, decongestant non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication.
The flu, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, differs from the cold on many levels, such as how a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit to 102 degrees Fahrenheit is usual. Other common symptoms for the flu include headaches and other general aches along with extreme exhaustion and fatigue, while sneezing or having a sore throat or a stuffy nose is not as common for the flu as it is with the cold. Taking annual vaccinations and antiviral medicines are the best ways to prevent the flu, an illness that can lead to bronchitis, pneumonia or the hospital if left untreated.
Advising students to rest, drink lots of liquids (e.g., water and tea) and take over-the-counter medications, the Health and Wellness Center provides students with further information on the flu at http://www.longwood.edu/health/14773.htm.
Any student can receive information on the flu season upon stopping by Longwood's Health and Wellness Center, all pamphlets easily attainable along with a no-charge doctor's appointment. Not only that, but the Health and Wellness Center can also provides each student with a free thermometer with information on the backside on the differences between the cold and the flu, provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Longwood students are able to get a free flu shot throughout the end of the months of October and November at various campus locations, such as Lankford Student Union and ARC Hall, during certain times and dates. Students are also able to receive a free flu shot by setting up an appointment at the Health and Wellness Center. Dates and locations of upcoming events to receive flu shots are provided in Longwood's weekly email service.
The hours of the Health and Wellness Center are from 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. on weekdays. All consultations are appointment-based, and students are able to call (434) 395-2102 or email studenthealth@longwood.edu to schedule a time.
