Have you experienced any flu or cold symptoms this season? You may be just the candidate the Student Health Center is looking for. According to an email sent to all Seawolves on Jan. 23, “The Student Health Center is currently seeing students with a variety of cold and flu symptoms.” Patients may face a wait.

Toni Boracchia, RN and Student Health Care Center Health Education Nurse, said many students are coming to the Health Center with complaints of fever, body aches, cough, nasal and chest congestion, fatigue, headache, ear aches, sore throats and sinus pressure.

Making an appearance every year between November and April, the flu does not hesitate to make noses run, bodies ache, and sinuses congested. While this is not uncommon, the flu has been particularly ruthless this season.

 According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of children that had died of flu-related symptoms so far this season, which began in October, is 53. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that this flu season is among the worst in recent years with more than 126,000 laboratory-confirmed cases reported nationwide. These do not include thousands of people who have had the flu or are still fighting it but have chosen not to see a doctor.

While young children, the elderly and pregnant women are the most susceptible to the flu, college students are not invincible. With this in mind, the Student Health Center did not hesitate to inform Sonoma State University of the most common flu symptoms; “runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, cough … fever, headache, body aches.” 

Boracchia said that these symptoms cause “a serious respiratory illness that comes on quickly … and is very contagious.” The most effective way to avoid the flu is to get a flu shot annually. While some people may be skeptical of vaccinations in general, Boracchia says people need flu shots yearly due to changing viruses.

 “The Influenza vaccine is manufactured to protect against the viruses most likely to cause flu for that season, which is why you need a flu shot every year… It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies to develop in the body that protect against the flu, but getting a flu shot now can still be beneficial because it is still in this community,”

Luckily, it’s not too late. For $15, the Student Health Center offers the Quadrivalent Flu Vaccine, more commonly known as the flu shot, to students only. There are also various locations around Rohnert Park offering the shot, including Raley’s Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy and Safeway Pharmacy. 

There are other helpful, somewhat less effective ways to help prevent the flu. Boracchia say these include “washing your hands often and before you eat and after using the bathroom” and “drink water and plenty of fluids… eat a variety of foods… [and] sleep for at least eight hours at night.” 

This may not be the lifestyle some students live on a regular basis, but according to Boracchia, it’s worth it. “Students are part of a large community on campus and the larger the population you are exposed to, the more likely you are to be exposed to the flu and other viruses this time of year” he said. With this being said, it may be high time to whip out those disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer you got in your dorm-warming basket from mom and dad at the beginning of the year.

Students who are concerned if they have contracted the flu or have experienced any symptoms should contact the Student Health Center as soon as possible. Visit the Student Health Center online via Sonoma State’s website, or call it at 707-664-2921. While it is currently experiencing an increased number of visits, the Health Center urges anyone who is suspicious of symptoms to make an appointment and get checked out before it’s too lateTen