Has Swine Flu Made It to Your College Campus? Barely two weeks have passed into the new semester, and already college campuses across the country are reporting a record number of under-count students with swine flu. Or is it H1N1? Whatever name you use, the first weeks of what should be an exciting experience, the first weeks of a new school year, are a miserable and disappointing mess.

So why is it spreading so rapidly among the university population? Several reasons …

• Little proximity. Living in dormitories and being locked in classrooms and conference rooms all day provides the perfect breeding ground for H1N1 to spread from one or two sick students or teachers to everyone in the vicinity.
• When was the last time you washed your hands? You really can’t help but touch the same surfaces that hundreds of people before you have already touched. And it’s not just your roommate’s door handles and duffel bag, but the buttons on vending machines and ATMs, bats and balls in the gym, the surface of your desk, and utensils at the gym. dining room.
• It’s midnight. Do you know where your bedroom is? College-aged people are not the best at getting adequate sleep and nutrition. Late nights, junk food, and excess alcohol weaken the immune system and make it more vulnerable to viruses that it would normally avoid.
• Close Quarters Revisited. Lots of physical activity, hugging, sharing soda, using toothbrushes or towels, all increase the chances of contracting a virus.

There is a lot of material available on how to avoid the H1N1 virus. Flu shots, if you want to, are fine, but the immunity they provide can take four to five weeks to kick in. By then, the first trimester will be over and you will be back home. The best way to avoid getting sick is to take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat healthy foods, avoid sick people (if possible), wash your hands often, use hand sanitizer, and use paper towels to open doors or touch surfaces, at least until the virus subsides.

But life is life, things happen. You may get sick no matter what you do, especially if you’re new to college and still acclimating to your new surroundings and classmates. That’s when prevention mode transforms into survival mode.

If you have symptoms, go to the clinic and get the treatment that your doctor thinks is most effective. Then go to bed and stay there, until you have no fever for at least 24 hours.

Even though the stresses have lessened and the flu will probably only inconvenience you for three or four days, keep one thing in mind. The H1N1 virus has already killed people, many people, and not just young children or the elderly. It has eliminated young, healthy and vital people who were not in that category “at risk”, far from it. That is why we use the word survival. People who died from H1N1 did not expect to end up in the hospital. And they certainly weren’t expecting to end up fighting for their lives.

Which brings up another important point.

Most colleges do not have the time, staff, or information to send a medical history or emergency contacts to the emergency room along with a student, each time one of them ends up in the hospital. So if you or your friends end up in the hospital, it’s up to YOU ​​to make sure the doctors treating you are aware of your medical history, including allergies, sensitivities, and past illnesses. If you are allergic to a certain drug, or to a certain food or plant (which can also be an ingredient in a drug), your treating physician should know. And if you’re too sick to tell them, who will speak for you? Wouldn’t it be terrible to be hospitalized for the flu, only to get seriously ill from a reaction to a drug you’re allergic to? Those things happen every day, more than most people realize.

The easiest way to prevent that from happening is to write your medical history, allergies, and emergency contacts (parents, close relatives, people who could make medical decisions for you if necessary) on a piece of paper. Then tell your roommate or a close friend that if you ever end up in the hospital, it’s your job to carry that paper with you. In fact, we have a special set of forms, wallet cards, and tools for college students in our Safe Student Action Plan, giving you a place to store all of that information, ready to grab and go when needed.

But the point is, flu epidemic or not, you never know what might happen, so the trick is to ALWAYS be prepared. A few minutes of work now can save a life of regret. When you have the information you need at your fingertips, a treating physician will be able to care for you with your history and needs in mind. And in case things get serious, the hospital will know who it wants to call in an emergency.

Just remember that you are now an adult. Making sure you are seen in an emergency does not depend on your university, it does not depend on your parents and it does not even depend on the hospital. It is up to you to do whatever it takes, not just to survive, but to thrive.