Influenza virus hits university campus

Thousands of students are already infected with the flu this fall as the virus passes through university campuses, despite efforts by the Health Center to keep cases of COVID-19 away.

William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said the familiar virus was back after the flu season had almost disappeared last winter.

“Last year, the flu was historically very low because of the social distance, wearing masks, participating in virtually many activities, and children not attending school,” Schaffner said. .. “Now we’re opening up, taking off our masks, and going back to face-to-face activities, including on the college campus, so of course I think we’ll be back.”

Universities and university health teams are on the alert as COVID-19 is likely to occur this fall. Now, while the students are preparing to go home for Thanksgiving, they are also working to prevent the spread of the flu. Experts say the flu vaccine is essential to stop the spread of the virus on campus.

The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, is currently fighting a particularly serious outbreak. Nearly 530 students have been diagnosed with the flu since early October, according to the report. Press release.. Last week, the university identified 313 cases of influenza. This reflects a 37% positive test rate. A week ago, Michigan recorded 198 cases with a positive test rate of 27.2%.

“Influenza activity is often seen today, but the magnitude of this outbreak is unusual,” said Juan Luis Marquez, medical director of the Washtenaw County Health Department, in a press release.

More than three-quarters of students who test positive for the flu have not been vaccinated with the virus this year. University officials are asking students and employees to get the flu vaccine as soon as possible.

Outbreaks do not always immediately affect Ann Arbor’s population, “but it raises concerns about what the flu season may bring,” Marquez said.

The County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Welfare are investigating outbreaks with the support of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Experts are trying to determine how effective the flu vaccine is in preventing disease and how the virus is spreading on campus.

“Partnering with the CDC will accelerate our understanding of how this flu season will evolve locally and nationwide in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Lindsey Mortenson, Managing Director of the University Health Service. Described in the release.

Some flu experts are worried that low exposure to the flu virus last year may have weakened people’s immune system, Schaffner said. As a result, the country may experience a more extreme flu season.

Still, “guessing about the flu is useless because it’s so difficult to predict,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s a mild, medium or harsh season.”

University of Georgia officials are also encouraging students to be vaccinated against the flu as the university works to prevent widespread outbreaks. NS Athens Banner-Herald On Monday, several Georgian football players and coaches reported fighting the flu. Approximately 80-85% of football teams have been vaccinated against the flu this year, but some are still flu, Kirby Smart Coach said. Banner-Herald..

Rod Guajardo, a spokesperson for the University of Georgia, said: Said in a statement on Tuesday. Guajard does not say how many Georgia students tested positive for the flu this fall.

Rowan University in Glassboro, NJ is also working on an influenza pandemic on campus. More than 100 students have been diagnosed with the flu this month. PhillyVoice report..Florida State University sees more than 20 new cases of influenza a day, said the university’s director of health services. Tallahassee Democrat.. A nearby agency, the University of Florida A & M, counted 102 new cases of influenza last Wednesday alone.

“We see a lot of cases of influenza,” said Tanya Tatum, director of medical services at Florida A & M. Democratic Party.. “I am worried.”

Officials at Rowan, Florida, Florida A & M encourage students and employees to be vaccinated against the flu, but could not require the vaccine. Some institutions, such as the University of Southern California and McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland, have chosen to mandate influenza vaccination this fall.

“Initially, we strongly recommended that you be vaccinated against the flu, but during the flu season, before returning to campus in the new year, submit a document to the Wellness Center stating that you have been vaccinated against the flu. I feel I need to ask the students to do this, “a McDaniel official wrote to the students in an email in October.

Sarah Van Orman, Chief Health Officer at USC Student Health, states that college students often skip the flu vaccine. Normally, only 20-40 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 24 are vaccinated against the flu each year.

“Influenza vaccine intake is not very high in that typical college population,” Van Oman said. “But due to COVID-19 and flu concerns, influenza vaccination uptake is much higher.”

Campus influenza outbreaks often occur under radar in years when there is no pandemic, Van Oman said. Boarding college students are almost always young and healthy and rarely go to the hospital as a result of an influenza infection. However, most institutions have some influenza pandemic every winter.

Both Schaffner and Van Oman emphasized the importance of influenza vaccines in combating such outbreaks.

“Many people don’t use it because it’s not the perfect vaccine. You can get the flu even though you’ve been vaccinated,” Schaffner said. “I remind them of the following: [they get the vaccine], They are very likely to have a mild infection and are unlikely to require medical attention. Even if you can’t completely prevent your illness, you tend to get back to the swing of things a day or two early. This is very valuable for students. “