Swine Flu: The New College Mascot

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Each and every fall, thousands of parents assemble at universities across the United States to drop their children off for freshman year in what has become a parental rite of passage. To some this is an exceedingly exciting time, a time when the notion of “leaving the nest” finally comes to fruition. For others, the “college drop-off” is a cumbersome experience, loaded with stress as parents fear what dangers may lay ahead for their unsupervised boy or girl. This fall however, all parents should be feeling a bit apprehensive about what may lie ahead for their son or daughter.

As students flock back to their packed lecture halls, beer-pong games and ever-shrinking dorm rooms, the CDC has noticed a disturbing rise in the number of reported Swine Flu cases on college campuses. The highly contagious H1N1 virus (swine flu) has been springing up across the country at universities big and small, with some schools already boasting more then 150 confirmed cases. As a consequence of the spreading sickness some schools are taking drastic measures to combat the virus, by isolating sick students, dispensing anti-viral pills and giving away free hand-sanitizer.

This little piggy went to the ER...

Despite these efforts however, many students approach the disease with a complacency that borders on lackadaisical. Indeed it seems as though the vigilance of school administrators and health officials in their approach to H1N1 has overwhelmed students to the point where it’s now easier to disregard the warnings rather than heed to them.

Our advice?—parents don’t contribute to the dozens of emails, etc. kids are getting about H1N1, they’ll likely disregard it because they’re hearing so much about it already. Instead take the subliminal approach to keeping your child healthy; casually remind them to wash their hands before they eat, etc. By simply washing their hands a few times a day, your child can significantly reduce their chances of contracting Swine Flu.

So remember, gentle advice, rather than frantic, panicky parental demands, will be far more effective in keeping your child Swine Flu free for the entirety of their collegiate venture.

Take care of yourself, and each other.

The KINeSYS Team!