Cover your cough!

Good hand hygiene, cough etiquette and vaccination are key to staying healthy during flu season

By — THE EDITORIAL BOARD

As the colder end of the year approaches, increasing numbers of students are coming down with the flu or flu-like symptoms.

The flu is a contagious respiratory condition caused by the influenza virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs. Common symptoms of the flu include feeling a fever, persistent coughing, sore throat, fatigue or headaches. 

Colleges and universities serve as hot spots for illnesses like the flu to transmit rapidly, especially in population-dense common areas including dorms, classrooms or restrooms. Attending large social events such as parties, assemblies or club events increases the risk of transmitting and acquiring such illnesses (watch out for frat flu). In enclosed spaces with limited air circulation, such as large lecture halls, transmission between individuals increases, putting more students at risk. 

Historically, college students and young adults are less likely to get flu vaccines than other age groups: estimates show that 8% to 39% of college students report being vaccinated. In addition, college students are known for poor personal hand hygiene and cough etiquette practices, putting them at higher risk for airborne transmission. 

Studies reveal that 77% of students do not follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s cough etiquette guidelines. These guidelines include coughing and sneezing into tissues, arm sleeves or elbows and immediately washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can be used as a (less effective) substitute.

While hand hygiene and cough etiquette are effective everyday strategies to prevent transmission to others, vaccination serves as the most effective way to protect yourself against illness. Influenza viruses evolve frequently; staying up to date on flu vaccinations provides effective protection against the latest strains. 

The Editorial Board strongly encourages students to not only get the seasonal flu shot but also to practice proper sneezing and coughing etiquette. These preventative measures are vital for protecting yourself and others during this upcoming flu season. As midterms, classwork and extracurricular activities start to pile on and add potential stress, the immune system weakens, increasing susceptibility to the flu or flu-like symptoms. Vaccinating and practicing these healthy habits early into the quarter mitigates these effects, increasing herd immunity and lowering transmission rates. 

Flu shots introduce an inactivated version of the influenza virus to trigger your immune system to activate and fight off the live virus from entering your body. While vaccine skepticism may occur, especially due to symptomatic conditions emerging shortly after vaccination, substantial evidence from clinical trials — regulations that test for long-term effects — has shown that flu vaccines do not cause influenza. These symptomatic conditions are an indication of your body’s immune system activating in response to the vaccine, a positive sign that your body is ready to combat the virus.

Yolo County, UC Davis and the California Department of Public Health offer multiple locations for students to get the seasonal flu shot. UC Davis students with the University of California Student Health Insurance Plan (UC SHIP) can access the flu vaccine at the Student Health and Wellness Center with full coverage. Registered students, regardless of UC SHIP coverage, may make an appointment at the Student Health and Wellness Center to receive a vaccination. Yolo County offers free flu vaccinations across a variety of locations, and the My Turn website, published by the California Department of Public Health, provides users with information about local clinics or hospitals that provide the flu vaccine, along with insurance coverage. 

Despite these measures, sometimes close proximity to individuals who present flu-like symptoms or catching these symptoms is likely. The CDC recommends wearing a face mask to filter airborne particle transmission in addition to increasing physical distancing. Most importantly, If you are currently affected by the flu, please stay at home for your safety and the safety of others. 

We urge you to practice these effective prevention strategies to keep yourself and those around you safe this flu season. Early action and practicing these prevention strategies lowers the risk of you and others getting sick.

Written by: The Editorial Board — opinion@theaggie.org