Sara Tiradossi / Winonan
Every fall season brings its usual activities: homecoming, football, holidays and, unfortunately, the flu.
The flu typically shows up during late fall and can peak during the winter months, but according to Winona State University Health and Wellness Promotion Coordinator Kathryn Hansen, the flu can still affect people during the spring, depending on the weather.
Along with providing flu shots for students to reduce the chances of getting the flu,Winona State’s Health and Wellness Services hosts events like their Health Hut: Get Well Kits.
Student health and wellness advocate Olivia Brunson handed out the kits with treatment and prevention information at the Integrated Wellness Complex on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
“If you’re feeling under the weather, you can grab a little kit that has a chicken noodle soup, a one-use thermometer, a packet of Kleenex, some hands sanitizers and some cough drops,” Brunson said. “Those are the important things to have to make you feel better.”
Hansen said if students do not have anything else in their cabinet, having one of those kits is the least they can do to make themselves better.
Hansen added it is never too late to get a flu shot.
Health and Wellness Services provide flu shots every year, particularly during the fall, before flu season starts.
In terms of flu prevention or any kind of seasonal colds, Hansen recommends college students who live in residence halls with other roommates to make sure they live in a clean environment and get enough sleep. This way the immune system can rejuvenate itself and also decrease stress over time.
“College is a pretty stressful time for anybody,” Hansen said. “Stress can bring down your immune system opening up for those seasonal bugs.”
It is also important to eat well and a healthy breakfast every single day, Hansen said. It is possible to get some extra vitamin C by increasing the consumption of vitamin-rich foods like oranges, fruits and vegetables. While vitamin C tablets are sold at the drug store, Hansen suggested it is always better to simply incorporate an extra orange in a diet rather than taking artificial supplements.
“It’s also important to remember to clean electronics, specially the laptop and cellphone. You want to clean anything you touch frequently and wipe the screens with anti bacterial wipes,” Hansen said. “If you touch them all the time, other people will touch them all the time, and we all end up passing along germs through touching.”
Hansen said when going to the gym it is also important to wear proper clothing and cool down to protect from the cold temperatures outside. Bundling up when it is cold out and making
sure not to go outside with wet hair is another small way to battle the elements and prevent the flu as well.
“Also, getting a regular routine of exercise will help you stay healthier too and relieve stress from classes,” Hansen said.
As far as university awareness of flu prevention, Hansen said the university promotes health through media campaigns across campus and spreads out posters about how and why to get flu shots.
Health and Wellness services also work in collaboration with the nursing department and use student nurses to do some special walk-in flu shot clinics in Kryzsko, she said.
The services also host events like the Health hHut to promote general wellness for students.
