Sickness on campus and how to avoid it

Flu season is on its way.
Recent sickness around campus has many wondering what illness is spreading. While it is unknown what exactly the illness is, there are multiple reasons why people are getting sick.

The start of fall also means the start of flu season. According to the Center for Disease Control, “Flu viruses typically circulate during the fall and winter during what’s known as the flu season.” Getting the flu is very common. It was estimated by the CDC that there were 27 to 54 million flu illnesses during the 2022-2023 flu season. Symptoms of the flu include fever, coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue. In order to prevent getting the flu, the CDC recommends avoiding close contact with those who are sick, staying home while sick, covering your nose and mouth, cleaning your hands frequently, avoiding touching your face and practicing other good health practices.

Another common ailment is upper respiratory illness. Upper respiratory illnesses include the common cold and influenza-like illnesses. Studies by the National Library of Medicine have shown that common colds and influenza-like illnesses are the main cause of sickness spreading in young adults on college campuses. According to the CDC, symptoms of the common cold include sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing, post-nasal drip and watery eyes. There are a variety of treatments for these upper respiratory illnesses such as “rest, fluids and over-the-counter pain relievers,” according to the Cleveland Clinic. To prevent catching upper respiratory illnesses, it is recommended to follow the same guidelines to prevent catching the flu.

Good health practices are especially important for students in colleges and universities. Living in close quarters like dormitories and interacting with people all day makes it easy to contract illnesses from those surrounding you. Not practicing healthy habits makes you more susceptible to illnesses. In order to prevent getting sick, the CDC recommends getting rest, eating nutritious foods, drinking plenty of fluids, being physically active and managing your stress.

If you do find yourself getting sick, you can visit the Hurricane Health Center here at The University of Tulsa. “The Hurricane Health Center powered by CareATC provides care and treatment of minor illnesses and minor emergencies for all full- and part-time students,” states the Health Center website.

Freshman Ara O’Kelley started feeling ill on Sept. 10. “I checked their times on the TU website,” said O’Kelley on their experience with the Hurricane Health Center. “I went in and I asked them if they had any openings and they made an appointment with me right then and there. They tested me for a plethora of things to make sure I was not contagious.”

“When you’re a new patient you have to fill out new patient paperwork so you need to have your insurance card and your ID with you,” O’Kelley added.

You can schedule an appointment with the Hurricane Health Center by phone at 918-398-8803, the patient portal at www.careatc.com/patients or the CareATC mobile app. To see more information about the Hurricane Health Center, visit utulsa.edu/health-center/.

Post Author: Ava Hunt