Flu Season

The Flu Season has arrived. The Gonzaga Student Health Center is here to help. If your student is experiencing a fever, cough, headache, body aches and/or fatigue, he/she  may have the flu.  You may have your student  contact the Health Center at (509)313-4066 to schedule an appointment with a medical provider.

What can you and your student  do to protect yourself and others from influenza?

As with any contagious disease that spreads through the respiratory system, the Health Center recommends the following precautions:

• Get a flu shot each year to prevent the flu.
• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when sneeze, cough, or blow your nose. Quickly throw away used tissues, then wash your hands.
• If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve/elbow – not into your hands.
• Regularly clean surfaces in your home that are touched often, like light switches, doorknobs, faucets, and appliance handles.
• Don’t share food, utensils, beverages, towels, lipstick, toys, cigarettes, or anything else that might become contaminated with germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs can spread by touching them.
• Avoid close contact with sick people. Most germs are spread when a sick person coughs, sneezes, or talks.
• If you have a cough, fever or the flu, stay home until symptoms are gone and until you or your kids have been free of fever (less than 100ºF, without the use of a fever-reducing medicine) for at least 24 hours.