Flu Touches OKWU Campus
- This image was circulated in an email forward with the message: “If you look like this, don’t go to work!”
by Tirzah Lily
OKWUeagle.com Staff Writer
When Megan Mueller found herself experiencing flu symptoms during New Student Orientation activities, she was not happy.
Megan Mueller, junior, was one of the 10-to-15 OKWU students who have been sick since school started. Mueller had a high fever and exhaustion for a few days, then recovered.
“It’s like nothing I’ve had before so I’m not sure what it was,” says Mueller.
The news has been filled with reports on flu season and especially the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University has had only one confirmed case of the swine flu, but many students have had periods of feeling sick with flu symptoms.
Other universities around the United States have not been so lucky.
In the American College Health Association’s latest survey during the week of September 4, 2009, institutions surveyed reported 6,432 cases of H1N1 on their campuses. Of those, Oklahoma’s region reported 541 total cases.
Swine flu was detected in the U.S. in April of this year. In June of 2009, the World Health Organization determined that a pandemic of 2009 H1N1 flu was in progress as the virus spreads quickly from person-to-person worldwide.
The H1N1 influenza, commonly known as swine flu, requires a specific test in order to be identified. The survey does not include those students who may have had H1N1 but did not take the specific test to identify the strain.
Eden Brown, sophomore, was with her sister, Raissa Brown, senior, when Raissa visited the doctor with flu symptoms.
Brown chose not to test for the H1N1 flu strain after receiving positive confirmation that she had influenza.
“It’s kind of dumb to test for the swine flu because if you test positive for flu the treatment is the same either way,” Brown said.
Achy and running a fever of 102, Lonna Hunter, Women’s Resident Director, was sick with flu-like symptoms during the first week of school. Since she was not tested, Hunter was not formally diagnosed with H1N1 but did suffer from many of the symptoms accredited to having this virus.
“Being sick during the first week of school was horrible,” Hunter said, “I feel like I missed out on so much!”
OKWU community members may be a bit nervous about the likelihood of catching the flu since the campus has so many shared living spaces—residence halls, cafeteria, Doc Lacy’s, classrooms.
Germs spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches their own eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air and can also accumulate on a surface like a desk, computer keyboard, or telephone.
Deb Cook, Director of Student Health Services, has been encouraging every student to use the hand sanitizer that is located throughout the campus. Using the sanitizer at the entrance of the cafeteria before you start down the buffet line, as well as immediately after serving your food, can help stop the spread of germs during meal times.
On television talk show, The View, recommends that every person wash their hands at least 10 times throughout the day. The hosts also noted that an elbow bump is a preferred way to greet someone, rather than a handshake.
Nurse Deb suggests that students keep a 10-foot space around them and reminds students that if they can smell the other person’s breath—they are standing too close!
Students are encouraged to get the seasonal flu vaccine as the usual seasonal influenza viruses are still expected to cause illness this fall and winter. Flu shots are available at Physicians ImmediateCare and Walgreens for $25 in Bartlesville.
The 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine is expected to be available in the next month; the seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H1N1.
Maloree Hamel, senior, had a confirmed case of H1N1 a couple weeks ago. While in the Emergency Room, she was told by doctors and nurses that “the media has made the swine flu pandemic out to be worse than it really is.”
Hamel also learned that, despite its name, swine flu is not spread by pork or pork products. Nor can it be cured by a pork byproduct.
“Eating pork does not make the swine flu go away!” Hamel said.
Illness with the new H1N1 virus has ranged from mild to severe. While most people who have been sick have recovered without needing medical treatment, some people have required hospitalization or have even died.
Hamel recommends not freaking out because that “just makes it worse.”
Any student who thinks they may have the flu should contact Nurse Deb and their health care provider to schedule an exam.
For more information about the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, visit the Center for Disease Control’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ or World Health Organization’s website at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/.
