January 30, 2013
The flu and you
Many students are out sick with the flu, thus missing classes, work and social events. According to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC, for the week ending Jan. 19, “47 states reported widespread geographic influenza activity. This is a decrease from 48 states in the previous week.” Kansas currently has high influenza-like illness activity. The proportion of people seeing their health care provider for flu like symptoms has leveled off, but remains high, according to the CDC.
The easiest way to prevent the flu is to get vaccinated. Lafene Health Center is still offering the vaccine for $15 for students and $20 for all others.
What should you do if you get sick? According to the CDC, most people with the flu have mild illness and do not need medical care or antiviral drugs. The CDC recommends that people with the flu stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone. If you have symptoms of flu and are very sick or worried about your illness, call your health care provider. Otherwise you should avoid contact with other people, take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs such as washing your hands frequently with soap and water, using good cough technique by covering your mouth or cough into your elbow rather than your hands and take flu antiviral drugs if your health care provider has prescribed them. Drinking lots of fluids and taking over the counter anti-fever medications will help to relieve some of your symptoms. Rest is important as well.
Call Lafene Health Center or your medical care provider if you experience any signs which may require urgent medical intervention such as difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, and flu-like respiratory symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse cough.
Please remember to wash your hands and cover your mouth when coughing to avoid spreading germs. Above all, remember that Lafene Health Center should be your first choice when it comes to your health care needs. Please call today if you would like to make an appointment to get vaccinated.
Lafene Health Center
785-532-6544
www.k-state.edu/lafene