In the midst of a harsh flu season, university communities need to take extra precautions to not spread infection, say the deans of Georgia’s four public health colleges.
In a joint statement, deans Michael Eriksen from Georgia State University, Phillip Williams from the University of Georgia, Greg Evans from Georgia Southern University and Jim Curran from Emory University encourage university communities to know and follow the flu prevention recommendations set forth by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia’s Department of Public Health.
These recommendations include:
- Get a flu shot.
- Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use alcohol-based gels.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing to help prevent the spread of the flu. Use a tissue or cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or arm.
- Avoid touching your face as flu germs can get into the body through mucus membranes of the nose, mouth and eyes.
- If you are sick, stay home from school or work. Flu sufferers should be free of a fever, without the use of a fever reducer, for at least 24 hours before returning to school or work.
While adopting these primary strategies is fundamental to protecting yourself against infection, the deans also propose additional strategies to stay healthy in a university campus setting where faculty, staff and students interact in very close quarters.
Flu is spread through contact with common surfaces. Individuals living and working on campus regularly touch the same door handles, desks and keyboards. Handling another person’s smartphone may also spread germs and is easily avoidable.
Individuals experiencing mild symptoms are often reluctant to miss school, work or other professional functions. However, they may be highly contagious. An infected person is likely to spread the disease in these scenarios.
People who get flu-like symptoms should stay home until at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medicine. Avoid close contact with sick people, including keeping your distance during conversations and avoiding normal forms of social interactions, such as giving a hug or shaking hands.
Flu symptoms and their intensity can vary from person to person and can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
The predominant strain of flu circulating in Georgia and around the country, influenza A H3N2, is particularly virulent. Twelve people have died in Georgia and more than 300 have been hospitalized with flu-related illness.
For more information about preventing and treating the flu, visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu.