The Flu on Campus

The flu has arrived with force at McDaniel College this season.

Ironically, during the time this story was being written, two of the Wellness Center receptionists contracted the flu. Dana Plevyak, head nurse at the Wellness Center, had to alternate between taking care of students and covering for the receptionist at the front desk.

“The flu is definitely here,” said Plevyak.

Plevyak said that in her fourteen years working for the McDaniel College Wellness Center, this is one of the third most active years for the flu in memory, even including last year’s Swine Flu pandemic.

There have been close to 100 flu or flu-like cases reported in the past three weeks. Although the Wellness Center has a special test for the flu, some of the tests do not tell the correct results. Symptoms help the staff make draw the right conclusion when the tests are unreliable.

Plevyak said that recently they began to see a reduction in the number of new cases.

“It will be interesting to see the downside [of the flu], after an increase during the last two weeks,” she said.

To prevent the flu Plevyak had some tips: “Use your common sense. Don’t share food or drink. No close contact with people who are ill.”

If you are one of the unlucky students to have the flu, make sure to get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.

Plevyak also said students should be “fever free for 24 hours without the aid of medications before returning to class.”

Call for an appointment at the Wellness Center (410-857-2243) if you have any flu-like symptoms. The nurses there have prepackaged flu kits containing everything students need to weather the flu, including fever reducers, cough syrup, and decongestants.