As the semester kicks into high gear, more and more students are being seen at the Student Clinic with illnesses.
“About the third week of school, we began seeing more students in the clinic,” Director of Student Health Services Shelly Hodge said.
While there have been some confirmed cases of the flu and reported cases of the H1N1 virus in Texas, the majority of students on campus come in with other sicknesses.
“One day we did have quite a few people that were positive for the flu, but we have seen more upper respiratory infections [URI].” Hodge said. “I can not confirm any [H1N1] cases here on campus.” She added that a request has been made for H1N1 vaccines.
No cases of strep throat have been reported either, as most of the students come in with symptoms of a URI infection. Nevertheless, students are being cautious. The student clinic is offering a Seasonal Flu Vaccination Clinic at a cost of $10 to students. Charle Blackburn, senior and environmental science major, said she plans on getting a flu shot.
“I’m a full-time student with two jobs,” Blackburn said. “[Getting sick] destroys your ability to do your job [or] catch up from school.”
Other students concur that they are not too worried about getting sick, but instead fear falling behind in their schoolwork.
“I try and take precautions to prevent getting sick,” Kat Davis, junior wildlife conservation and management major said. “I can’t afford to miss class; I’d get too far behind.”
In the event of an outbreak, Texas A&M University-Commerce does have a plan. The Pandemic Influenza Response Team is comprised of personnel from Student Health Services, Resident Life and the Department of Risk Management and Safety.
“We meet every week to discuss flu-related situations on campus,” Hodge said.
In the event of an outbreak, more people would be involved such as facilities, the Counseling Center, and the University Police Department.
Regardless of the climate on campus, students can take measures to prevent getting sick. “Definitely practicing good hygiene helps,” Hodge said. “Cough into your elbow or a tissue, and always wash your hands.”
Hodge also urges students who are sick to prevent passing it to others.
“If they are sick, they need to stay home to prevent spreading it,” Hodge said.
Hodge advises if a student is feeling bad and/or their symptoms persist they should be seen at the clinic as soon as possible.
If students have any questions, they can call the Health Center at 903-886-5853. There is also an email address set up exclusively for questions regarding H1N1 at H1N1@tamu-commerce.edu.