‘If they’re not crawling in, they don’t have the flu’

The sounds of winter have come to IU – slushy footsteps, the clock bells playing holiday songs and the sniffles, nose-blowing honks and hacking coughs of students as they trudge to class.\nWith the snowy season comes cold and flu season. \nHowever, Dr. Hugh Jessop, executive director of the IU Health Center, said most people who think they have the flu have a respiratory infection, which usually lasts six to nine days. Though many infections cause runny noses, sore throats and temperatures of about 100 degrees, the flu makes a person feel achy and lethargic, and bring a temperature of about 102 to 104 degrees, he said.\n“If they’re not crawling in, they don’t have the flu,” Jessop said.\nHe said many students come in wanting antibiotics for their symptoms. The problem is that antibiotics do nothing for viruses such as the cold and the flu. Their purpose is to kill bacteria, he said.\n“Viruses are not living, so you can’t kill them,” Jessop said. \nFor viruses, Jessop recommends drinking fluids, eating a well-rounded diet and getting about eight hours of sleep per night – all of which help build a stronger immune system, he said.\nSmoking, excessive drinking and stress take their own toll on the immune system and should be avoided if possible.\n“It’s just like having a car that’s really well tuned-up,” Jessop said. “It’ll still run the other way; it just won’t run as well or as efficiently.”\nWhile waiting for the virus to run its course, all the patient can do for relief is treat the symptoms. He suggested taking aspirin for a headache, cough drops for a sore throat and antihistamines for a runny nose.\nFor those who do have the flu, the Health Center might prescribe Tamiflu. If taken within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, the pills can treat the flu, he said.\nHowever, becasue the medicine costs about $80, health care providers are often reluctant to prescribe Tamiflu unless there are mitigating factors, such as a pre-existing medical condition, he said.\nStudents said conditions on campus contribute to the spread of colds and the flu.\n“It’s because we all live so close together,” junior Drew Frazier said. “If (people) don’t see things, they don’t exist, so germs don’t exist.”\nSophomore Meredith Levine agreed.\n“I keep Purell with me all the time,” she said. “Everyone’s over-caffeinated and underslept.”