Campus Coughs

Flu season peaks again at JA and students are getting attacked one by one, missing many days of school and countless assignments. Nonetheless, students find their way to persevere through sickness.

Elise Otte contracted the flu in late November, right after getting off from a family vacation.

“I think I got sick from being out in the cold too long,” Otte announced. “My least favorite part about being sick is that I can’t really go out or do anything except for sleep and watch TV.”

Whether the sickness going around came from the weather, your classmates, or your family, it can interrupt important events in your life and cause unexpected problems.

“My sister and my mom had the exact same sickness, so I think I might have gotten it from them,” Freshman Austin Hand explained. “During finals week, it was hitting me super hard. My voice was really gravelly and I could only speak in a whisper tone.”

Symptoms of sickness creep up on specific people in different ways, causing a dreaded reminder of what this time of year brings upon us.

“The past couple years, I get this horrible, horrible cough around the same time of year and it usually only resolves itself by February,” Hand stated. “That’s how bad it is.”

Although the flu is something that comes around and attaches itself to its hosts no matter how hard some try to prevent themselves from getting it, it is always important to remember that we should go through regular practices to avoid getting the flu as best as possible.

“I think getting shots is important, but that can be controversial,” Freshman Naomi Seiffertt shared. “Just wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough and your nose when you sneeze, and stay home and avoid people.”

The usual flu lasts around 5 to 7 days in the average person, but for some like Hand, the sickness endures for a much longer period.

“I got sick somewhere around mid-December and it’s still kind of affecting me now,” Hand admitted. “I’ve been sick for about a month now.”

Sickness can be an obstacle for some, causing them to miss important things that they have to make up later. 

Seiffertt voiced, “I’d say the hardest part for me [when I was sick] was missing a Biology test, which I still have to make up.”

Sometimes, family traditions and tips and tricks can sneak their way into the routines of a sick person.

“Medicine and cough drops help a lot for me in general, but I always take a spoonful of honey when my throat hurts really bad,” Hand mentioned. “I’ve been doing it for a while, and it always does the trick.”