As the cold season brings casual coughs and runny noses, it’s essential to take preventive action to avoid these illnesses. In addition to the cold season sicknesses, cases of more severe illnesses such as the flu and norovirus have been rising this year. These illnesses might be mild but can become severe, making it essential to understand what they are and how to prevent contracting and spreading them.
The Centers for Disease Control reported that norovirus is a highly contagious virus that gives rise to symptoms of a stomach bug or flu, including vomiting and diarrhea. If contracted, these symptoms, which are nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, dehydration, and a possible fever, take around 12 to 48 hours to develop. These symptoms, mainly vomiting and diarrhea, contribute to rapid dehydration, leaving those infected with the virus weak and exhausted.
If one has contracted norovirus, they must avoid handling and preparing food for others and frequently wash hands with soap and water, as hand sanitizer does not fight against norovirus efficiently.
Besides norovirus, easily transmitted diseases such as the cold and influenza are more common illnesses to catch during the winter. Although many at Hackley have had or know about this sickness, it is still important to understand the virus’s details to learn how to combat it.
Influenza, known as the flu, spreads through the air by coughing, sneezing, or talking. Symptoms of the flu may include a fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, and more. There are four strains, A, B, C, and D. Symptoms can vary depending on the type of strains of the flu, which alter the way the virus mutates.
The common cold is the most common sickness during the winter season. Although it is still present in the summer, it appears more frequently in the winter. The common cold usually has milder symptoms than Norovirus and the flu. It develops and can take many different forms, therefore one can get different strains of the common cold multiple times.
Symptoms of the common cold include experiencing a runny nose, a scratchy sore throat, a low-grade fever, sneezing, and more. Like the flu, the common cold is often spread through the air from coughing, sneezing, or talking. And can also spread by touching someone or infected surfaces and objects, making them spread quickly and regularly.
Hackley’s nurse, Ms. Shannon said, “at least 20 [people] a day come to see me… usually when they come in, they’re sick and they’re going home.”
The flu and the seasonal cold are the most common illnesses (norovirus being the least likely) to be contracted at Hackley and in the states. Because of the many different variants of the cold or flu, it is difficult to eliminate the spread of these illnesses. Still, preventive action to stop the likelihood of contracting these illnesses can work for Hackley community members.
In response to the spread of these illnesses, trying to stop the spread of germs is essential. Keeping clean through washing your hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizing, help eliminate pathogens and possible illnesses like the cold or the flu on your hands that you might transfer when touching your face with. Beyond keeping clean, it is also important to stay hydrated, rest as much as possible, and get vaccinated if one can.
“Rest, hydration, eating well, and washing your hands are the simple things you can do to avoid getting sick,” said nurse Shannon.
Vaccines like the flu shot are also a prominent combatant of the flu virus and help keep people in good health when contracting the flu. Statistically, the effectiveness of the flu shot is 40-60%, keeping one from getting seriously ill when sick with the influenza virus (NCOA).
One should attempt to avoid contracting these illnesses at all costs, as they can linger for weeks after contracting them.
“I had the worst sickness and when I came back I had to make up all the quizzes and comps even when I still felt sick,” said sophomore Zavier Pine after spending a week at home sick.
Although the cold season brings many highly contagious viruses and illnesses that last a while, these illnesses can be easily averted with preventive measures. Hackley students can protect themselves from these pathogens by committing to simple acts like washing their hands, getting sufficient sleep, and eating well.
