Bowling Green is still experiencing cold and flu season, and as the semester begins, students may struggle with illnesses.
Bowling Green State University’s (BGSU) Chief Health Officer, Ben Batey, said two viruses are going around, not only in Bowling Green, but nationally as well.
“I think the main two that we are seeing nationally, not just in Bowling Green, in December, there was an uptick in flu and also norovirus, which is what people would consider the winter sort of vomiting illness,” Batey said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the main symptoms for the flu are a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headache and fatigue.
The CDC also says the most common symptoms for norovirus are diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain. Other symptoms could be a fever, headaches and body aches.
Batey said the best way to prevent illness is handwashing and if you are sick, to stay home.
“First and foremost, for both viruses, handwashing is going to be key, particularly with norovirus. If someone has the viral particles on their hands and they are handling food, or they touch something, and then they eat something without washing their hands or using hand sanitizer, they can contract that illness. Then with the flu, that is a respiratory illness, so generally we want to encourage students if you’re sick, stay home until you start to feel better. If you are too ill to go to class, it probably means that you are contagious,” Batey said.
Batey also said that it is important for people to keep their immune system functioning well.
“Another key line of defense is keeping your immune system functioning as good as possible. The ways we can do that is good nutrition, eating healthy and supplementing with vitamins doesn’t hurt, taking a multivitamin, especially if you are worried about catching a cold. Vitamin C and zinc, we do know that those things work to help boost the immune system. The other thing I don’t think students think of for immune health is a good night’s sleep. Make sure you’re getting a good night’s sleep because that is going to keep your immune system functioning at its peak,” Batey said.
A resource for students feeling ill at BGSU is the Falcon Health Center, located at 838 E. Wooster St.
“We highly encourage, if students are feeling ill, to go to the Falcon Health Center, and they can help assess right off the bat. They have tests to determine if you are dealing with flu or possibly COVID, or if it’s just a cold or norovirus. Once you know what you have, they can come up with a treatment plan for you. A lot of times, it is going to be ‘rest until you feel better,’ but with some of those other viruses, there are some medications that they may recommend to help you get over it quicker. You can work with that provider to help you find out exactly what you’re dealing with, and it will also help to dictate how long you should stay out of class,” Batey said.
Batey also said that distancing has been proven helpful in preventing the spread of illness.
“We did learn through the pandemic that distancing works, so if you are sick, try to keep distance from people,” Batey said.
Staying healthy in the middle of winter is always a struggle, but using these methods and resources can help students keep themselves and others safe from illnesses.
BGSU health resources are available here: https://www.bgsu.edu/recwell/wellness-connection.html
