Flu Season Surges in Louisiana, Impacting Centenary College
Throughout December and January, Louisiana experienced a heavy burden from the flu, and it is still going strong. The CDC reports very high levels of flu activity in Louisiana for late December. After the holidays, emergency room visits have been trending above normal and flu cases continue to rise statewide. Influenza activity remained high into early January, which indicates that this year's flu season will be longer than usual and potentially more severe.
There has been a recent uptick in flu related hospital/urgent care visits in the Shreveport area. Medical professionals saw more patients with flu-like symptoms, especially in young adults. Reports indicate, "Louisiana's influenza-like illness was listed at 7.0% of ED visits, and was noted as increasing and above the regional baseline." Although college aged individuals tend to experience fewer serious complications, they are often key players in spreading the virus due to their many social interactions and living arrangements.
This environment can easily be seen at Centenary College. Many students participate in small group discussion based classes, reside in residence halls, and are active in close knit campus activities. Even short-term illness can impact academic success if the flu spreads in such an environment. Missing classes, labs, or rehearsal time can also create additional stress to already challenging semesters.
Influenza A is the primary flu strain identified by state and local health agencies this winter. This has played a significant role in the rapid transmission of the virus across the state of Louisiana. The symptoms of the influenza are often abrupt (fever, extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and cough) and will significantly limit a student’s ability to attend classes. Because of these factors, healthcare professionals continue to encourage those with symptoms to remain at home while continuing to seek medical attention if necessary.
As the flu season continues into January, the emphasis on preventing the flu remains a high priority. According to the Louisiana Department of Health, receiving an annual flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu. Additionally, practicing basic hygiene habits such as frequently washing your hands, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, not sharing food or utensils and remaining at home if you are experiencing flu symptoms will also help to reduce the number of individuals who become infected. While there is no guarantee that receiving a flu vaccine will completely prevent you from contracting the flu, the Louisiana Department of Health emphasizes that receiving a flu vaccination can minimize your chance of developing serious complications and decrease the overall number of cases in a community, especially in densely populated areas such as college campuses.
The current flu season is demonstrating that public health issues occur outside of hospitals and clinics. As such, the Centenary College community is impacted through all of the academic environments, living spaces and aspects of student life. Therefore, awareness and preventive actions among the Centenary College community are essential to maintaining continuous operation on campus during the ongoing flu outbreak in Louisiana.