It is that time of year when everyone is blowing their nose, coughing, and sneezing. One of the largest viruses is coming just around the corner, and many students have felt a tiny little cold begin to progress into something bigger: the flu.
The Influenza virus affects your whole body but mainly targets the lungs, throat, and nose. There are two different types of flu. There is influenza A, which attacks your respiratory system, and then there is influenza B, which is the type of flu that children under the age of five are more likely to get. Additionally, it is very uncommon to get influenza B as an adult. Getting influenza A is a very contagious virus to get in the wintertime. “I think just making sure in the winter and around cold weather and this sick season that people stay healthy and they wash their hands and keep a clean environment [is important],” senior Paige Parry said.
I think just making sure in the winter and around cold weather and this sick season that people stay healthy and they wash their hands and keep a clean environment [is important].”
— Paige Parry
The flu spreads more during colder temperatures and many people stay indoors in the winter so it is easier for the virus to spread. When people are closer to each other it makes it easier for it to spread around the school, work, and even home environments. Many people who get the flu shot believe it is crucial to staying healthy. “I think the point of the flu shot is to protect your body from it. And I don’t think if you have the flu and then get the flu shot that’s really going to do anything, but if you get it before the winter season, it is effective,” senior Marah Cashman said.
There are over a billion cases worldwide of the flu virus each year. Many of those cases come from inside schools. Students who attend school are more likely to get the influenza virus by sharing supplies, sharing water, touching the same surface and just being by each other for 8 hours every day. Many students at Benilde-St. Margaret’s get the flu shot each year before we really get into the winter season. “I used to get the flu shot every year when I was younger. I used to get the flu mist, but now I get the flu shot because it’s more effective,” Parry said.