Snowmen, hot chocolate, snow days, the cold, and the flu. The Dial is here to save you from being stuck sick at home with those headaches and dizziness. According to WebMD Medical Reference, the flu can affect up to 20% of the population each year, and although the effects are not nearly as severe, that pestering cold we all have endured is commonly estimated to afflict Americans one billion times per year. This means that each person, on average, gets the cold more than once a year.

The common cold is a minor viral infectious disease to the upper respiratory system (nose and throat). Many viruses can cause symptoms that are classified as the “common cold.” These diseases include rhinovirus, sinusitis, and laryngitis. The flu is a more severe virus of the entire respiratory system contracted in two ways: through contact with bacteria containing the virus or through airborne droplets from a cough or a sneeze of one already infected with the virus.

How can we keep these two illnesses off Hackley’s campus? A school-wide effort to prevent students from contracting a cold or flu, and thus missing days of school, should include the following four steps: 1) Wash your hands on a regular basis; 2) If you do contract the virus, do not make an effort to go to school, as you increase the likelihood that others will get sick; 3) Eat right and stay healthy, and 4) Carry disinfectant wipes and wipe down commonly touched areas.

Despite common misconceptions, being out in the cold, along with the flu vaccine, are not ways of contracting the flu virus. However, higher stress levels can increase your chances of acquiring the flu from other people.

By following these guidelines, our community can keep the cold and the flu outside of the Hackley campus leading to a much more joyous winter for everyone with less sick days and more snowmen.