By: Morgan Lei
Unless you have been avoiding the news, social media, friends, teachers and classmates, you probably heard about the severity of this flu season. With 53 children across the nation dead and infection rates continuing to climb, this is the worst outbreak in years. MHS students and staff have not been excluded.
While there has not been an increase in confirmed cases of the flu at MHS, there have been more students going to the office with flu-like symptoms compared to last year, MHS Health Clerk Rona Tolentino said via email. Students also seemed to be getting sick earlier than years prior, Tolentino added.
“There have been more students with flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches, dizziness and fatigue,” Tolentino wrote. “Flu season usually starts around the end of January, I started seeing students with flu symptoms as early as Thanksgiving.”
Senior Tuan Bui, who was sick for 3 days and experienced symptoms, said this was the most sick he had been within the past 10 years. Bui only missed 2 days of school, but had a cough that lasted 2 weeks, he said.
“I had a sore throat, a really bad headache; I had cold sweats for the entire night for one day, and then the cough was just really bad,” Bui explained. “I was wheezing and sometimes it would just hurt a lot.”
Staff members have also been affected by the flu. According to Spanish Teacher Natalya Selitser, she was sick with the flu sick towards the end of Christmas break and started to get better, but relapsed after a week of returning to work. This was not good for her students, she explained.
“My classes fell behind. I was sending lesson plans on a daily basis,” Selitser said. “But to send a substitute who doesn’t know Spanish and has no clue what to do, you know in general it isn’t good for kids at all.”
To avoid getting sick, always wash your hands, and keep your immune system healthy by eating right and sleeping enough, Tolentino said. If you are sick, it is better to cough into your sleeve rather than your hands, Tolentino added.
“Stay healthy by eating a well balanced diet, stay hydrated with lots of fluids and get at least 8 hours of sleep every night,” Tolentino said. “If you are sick, please stay home.”