Liberty confirms only 10 cases of flu on campus

As flu season reaches its peak across the country, Liberty University Student Health Center and Wellness Initiatives is taking action to prevent the spread of the flu on campus.

Campus numbers are much different from national ones, as the level of on-campus flu cases is down from that at the height of the 2016-2017 flu season, when about one percent of students fell victim to the illness.

Although on a national scale the flu has been widespread, there have only been 10 confirmed cases on campus from October until now, according to director of the Student Health Center and Wellness Initiatives Keith Anderson.

According to Anderson, the center kicked off its initiative to combat the flu on campus by beginning its education on preventative measures and making flu vaccinations available to students earlier in the year than previous academic years. Students also have been receiving updates on how to prevent the flu more frequently than in past years, according to Anderson.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, this flu season is already more severe than the 2016-2017 flu season.

“(We are promoting) education of preventative measures, encouraging the use of hand sanitizer with hand washing, building services crews increasing wipe downs of high-traffic areas,” Anderson said. “Also, the university has increased the opportunities for flu vaccines through mobile clinics, so students can take advantage of the mobile clinics rather than fight the traffic of coming into the clinic itself.”

Although campus has only been mildly affected so far this flu season, the health center is continuing to encourage students to use preventative measures to combat the illness.

“We have started providing opportunities a lot sooner for students to take advantage of flu vaccinations,” Anderson said. “Through our health and education campaigns, students have been getting more frequent updates on how to prevent the spread of the flu and the steps to take if they begin experiencing flu like symptoms.”

The student health center has partnered with Liberty’s School of Nursing to provide convenient locations to receive vaccinations through mobile vaccine clinics.

“It a great opportunity for students to get vaccines, at no cost to them, in a place that’s really easy for students to get to,” nursing student Allison Foering said.

At the flu vaccination mobile clinics, nursing students give the flu vaccinations under the supervision of their professors.

According to nursing student Kristin Owen, even if one is to contract the flu virus, having a vaccination will help lessen the severity of the flu symptoms and allow for an easier recovery from the virus.

While the health center concentrates on preventing cases of the flu on campus, it also provides information on how to recover from the flu and how to prevent spreading the flu.

“Should a student become a victim of the flu, getting lots of rest is very important in their recovery,” Anderson said.

In addition to rest, students with the flu can contact Dining Services to prepare meals and Residence Life to ensure their recovery before going back into public areas of campus.

For more information on ways to prevent spreading the flu visit the Liberty University Student

Health Center and Wellness Initiatives webpage or look on the Facebook page for the latest updates regarding the flu.