By Nicole Majewski

Flu season is almost here; but there are things one can do to prevent from getting sick.

The flu is a viral illness that is spread by person-to-person contact, said Weigel Health Center Director Dr. Theresa Stephan-Hains. The Centers for Disease Control (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm) estimates that up to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu every year, according to its Web site. 

Although there is no exact date, the peak flu season begins as early as November, Hains said. She said it can last until February, depending on how fast the strain travels.

She said people with chronic illnesses, like cancer, and the very young are especially at risk for catching the flu. The CDC said these groups, including the elderly, may develop complications from gettingthe flu, like dehydration and bacterial pneumonia.

Vaccines and other drugs like Tamiflu (http://www.tamiflu.com/consumer_treatment.asp) have been made available in the past few years to treat the flu, but they are not always the answer, Hains said.  Tamiflu is an expensive drug, and getting it depends on a patient’s insurance coverage, she said.  She questioned whether the drug actually improves symptoms in a short period of time.  Also, according to a report from CNN, the makers of Tamiflu, Roche Holding AG, has temporarily stopped sending the drug to wholesalers and those in the private sector because of high demand (http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/10/27/roche.tamiflu.ap/index.html).

"Most people don't need them, they can get better in three to four days without Tamiflu," Hains said.

She said the vaccines are made not knowing exactly what strain they will prevent against because there are thousands of strains of the flu. Also, the Erie County Department of Health currently does not have flu shots to distribute to privatephysicians, according to an Oct. 19 bulletin from the department.

Hains said that even though it would be difficult not to catch the flu, there are things that people can do to lower their risk of getting it. These measures include:

• hand-washing
• staying home when feeling sick
• covering one's mouth after sneezing and coughing
• avoiding those who are sick

"We don't have any way of preventing the flu except for basic hygiene," Haines said.

Buffalo State College senior Karen Bower said she knows about the upcoming flu season, and takes vitamins, drinks juice frequently and always washes her hands. However, she does not get a flu shot.

"I'm going to get sick one way or another and I heard a flu shot gets you sick anyway," Bower said.

Yaw Adom is a junior who works in Weigel (http://buffalostate.edu/weigel).

"Go to the hospital, go check it, get medicine to prevent it because you never know who has it," he said.

Adom also said he washes his hands to protect against getting the flu, and avoids getting close to anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

"I think the more people learn about the flu, the better," Bower said.

Contact Nicole Majewski at cerealboxes84@yahoo.com

Dr. Theresa Stephan-Hains said that hand-washing is an effective way of preventing the flu, but questioned the effectiveness of drugs in treating it.    

Credit:  Nicole Majewski, Bengal News Online