By Roxanne Fleischer
Once again a menace strikes campus, this time just over a week into the semester. The menace: Type A Flu. One of it’s many victims: Casey Crough, a sophomore at McDaniel. It started with a dry cough. Then came a fever. The cough became increasingly frequent, the fever remained, and nausea decided to drop in as well.
At first Crough joked about the serious abs she would gain from all the coughing. Only later did she change her outlook, saying, “I just want to stop coughing,” as the sickness worsened.
She had been doing all the right things to get rid of the flu when it first struck; she took Ibuprofen to reduce the fever, she pushed fluids, especially orange juice for the vitamin C, she got plenty of rest, and still the flu fought harder.
After to a visit to Health Services around midday on Tuesday, Feb 5, it was determined that Crough should go home, and she is required to remain there until Monday, Feb 11.
Crough was one of more than 25 students who struggled with the flu by the end of last week, according to Joan Lusby, certified Physician Assistant with the college’s Health Services.
By press time on Monday, Feb. 11, the college reported roughly 35 cases of type A flu on campus.
Members of the college community received emails encouraging them to “ be mindful of frequent hand washing and avoiding any close contact with people, even handshaking and hugging for the time being.”
Symptoms of the flu consist of high fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny nose, muscle aches and sometimes nausea and vomiting, according to an email sent on February 4.
“It is HIGHLY contagious. It is spread by coughing and sneezing of those who are infected or by touching something with flu virus and then touching your mouth or nose,” the email continued. “ It can be spread 1 whole day before someone is symptomatic and up to 5 days after becoming sick.”
Anyone who suspects that they the flu should make an appointment with Health Services as soon as possible. There is an antiviral medication that can be taken within the first 48 hours of symptoms. This medication can help shorten the course of the disease.
Lusby added that any students who wish to recieve the vaccine next year should notify her to guarantee a shot, under limited supply.
For more information or advice, call the Health Center at ext. 2243.