Staying healthy during flu season

Now that flu and cold season is over, students can rest easy and try to remain healthy all the way into finals week. But how did Lyndon fair this winter? Compared to last year with the attack of the H1N1 virus, the Brown House is happy with the results.

"We've seen a lot of regular colds, sometimes students they think they more than they do, but mostly just colds. A few ear infections, just minor things." says Paula Chamberlin who the secretary at the Brown House who sets up appointments for students.

Last year, with the attack of the H1N1, Lyndon was hit pretty hard and they even had to send some students' home to ensure that the remaining students on campus wouldn't catch it.  Vaccines were being distributed and students were wary of touching doorknobs and staircase rails in fear that they too would catch the virus.

College campuses all over the nation took serious precautions, and were hoping to have a much healthier year this year.

"We certainly saw a lot less flu, we didn't see any H1N1 like we did the year before. We saw a few sporadic seasonal flus, but really we didn't see much at all," says Miriam Simon, a nurse at the Brown House.

Compared to other colleges around the nation, Lyndon is very healthy with far less colds and flu cases. Even members of the Lyndonville community faired well as well. Simon also works at Corner Medical, the family practice in town, twice a week. She says that compared to last year, it was a very healthy year. "We didn't see anything like last year, not at all. It was pretty quiet as far as the flu."

As far as colds, they are very common, especially on college campuses like Lyndon.

"The number of viral upper respiratory infections pretty much stays the same year to year," says Simon who adds ""sore throats and colds are pretty common here and upper respiratory infections as well."

"I hope college students learned from last year better health habits as far as hygiene and will continue to do that, " says Simon as she hopes that Lyndon continues to maintain their healthy habits.