by Glenn McGlothin, Staff Writer and Bria Isaacson, Copy Editor
In the past few months, the flu has been sweeping campus and the Bluegrass. According to the Department for Public Health, the influenza this season has reached epidemic levels.
In a prepared statement, Jeffrey D. Howard, the acting commissioner for the Department for Public Health, said, “Widespread influenza activity means that Kentuckians are likely to encounter one or more persons shedding influenza virus at work, at school, while shopping, while traveling, at athletic or entertainment events and in places of worship.”
According to the most recent reports from the Center for Disease Control, there have been 13 more pediatric deaths caused by the flu, bringing this season’s grand total to nearly 100. The strain most prevalent is H3N2, and vaccines are only 25 percent effective against the virus. The CDC reports that this strain leads to more frequent and serious infections.
Several Asbury students have had the virus this season. Senior Bryce Hockema experienced it firsthand for three days.
“I had to camp out off campus,” Hockema said. “I lost a lot of sleep and spent the next week catching up, putting me at a severe disadvantage when it came to classes and tests.”
Hockema said he has had the flu before. “Mine usually includes a migraine style headache and congestion. I have blurry vision, which causes the dizziness.”
According to Asbury’s Student Health Service’s Director Carol Amey, these are not the typical flu symptoms. Rather, the typical flu symptoms are “sudden onset of high fever, sore throat and body aches,” Amey said. “There is a stomach virus going around that, while nasty for about 24 hours, is not the flu.”
Junior Jonathan Grosz had symptoms very similar to these when he caught the flu. He said he was fine the day before, but the next day, he had a runny nose. From there, it only went downhill.
“The exhaustion was definitely the biggest part,” he said. “I could barely move for like two days.” A runny nose, scratchy throat and extreme exhaustion kept Grosz out of commission for a few days.
Hockema said he did not have the flu shot, similar to many of Asbury’s students. This year, the Health Service gave 30 flu shots, a drop from the 43 shots given last year, Amey said. Although many students receive flu shots from local pharmacies and personal physicians, Amey said that she has seen many students “who are generally healthy [and] often don’t feel that they need to be immunized.”
Before recently getting the flu, Hockema didn’t even take health precautions. “I did none of those things that help promote good health,” he said.
Since then, he said he will start taking better care of himself to prevent getting the flu again.
“I think I’ll start taking the flu shot now because that [getting the flu] was an awful experience,” Hockema said.
Despite these cases of flu on campus, Amey said, “Although the media is publicizing a horrible flu year, the Health Service has only seen 29 cases of flu-like illness, though we’ve heard of students who have been diagnosed off campus. Last year on this date, we had already seen 40 cases, but the 2015-16 year, we only saw 8 cases.”
So, stay healthy Asbury. If you think you may have the flu, rest as much as you can and contact Student Health Service right away. You can make an appointment by calling 859-858-3511 x2277. Appointments with a doctor or nurse are free of charge, and medications are available for a nominal charge.
