Local university health centers give advice for flu season
NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Over the past few weeks, there has been in increase in flu cases across the nation.
According to the Walgreens Flu-Index tracker, the Golden Triangle and surrounding areas rank as number two in the country in having the highest flu population.
Dr. Katrina Poe is the Executive Director for Mississippi State’s University Health Services.
She said there has been a rise in flu cases on campus.
“We tested over 100 people. In fact, over 120 people were tested and 34% of those people were positive for flu,” said Poe.
Dr. Poe said it takes a team to keep the campus healthy.
Each week, the school’s health center conducts a report of illnesses on campus.
She also gave tips for if you end up catching the virus.
“Trying to not attend crowds. Not attending even classes when you’re sick especially if you’re running fever. And of course, if you’re sick, we encourage our students to come and see us at the health center,” said Poe.
Dr. Alena Groves is a nurse practitioner at Mississippi University for Women.
She is also a professor for the graduate school’s nursing department.
Dr. Groves recommended getting a vaccination to help prevent catching the flu.
“I think that people tend to forget that there are so many steps that you can take to prevent the spread of flu. In the meantime, they just go through their daily lives. Go to school, go to work, and things like that until it just hits and it’s so abrupt and can lead to just severe illnesses — that a lot of time they don’t have time to prepare for that,” said Groves.
In some cases, the flu can be deadly.
Dr. Groves also recommended avoiding large crowds if have you been sick to keep the virus from spreading.
“We have a large population, a rural population. Sometimes, you don’t have a lot of accessibility to the flu vaccination or to healthcare to receive care to prevent those complications from occurring from the flu,” said Groves.
Dr. Groves said children and adults over 60 are most at risk for the virus, and the flu is most contagious in the first three days.
You can get a flu vaccination from your local health department or pharmacy.
Washing hands with soap and water and cleaning surfaces can also help prevent the spread of the flu.
