Before seasonal flu activity peaks, Chief Campus Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman encourages students to get the influenza immunization to reduce the risk of illness, in a briefing with the Daily Trojan Tuesday morning. Student Health clinicians will provide flu vaccines on campus throughout the fall.

While Student Health is not currently reporting high influenza cases on campus, flu cases typically peak between the end of November and mid-January. Students are recommended to get the flu vaccine — ideally before the end of October — for protection against the virus, which usually requires two weeks for antibody development.

“Flu is a very rapid onset, and people just really feel rapidly achy, feverish and very, very fatigued,” Van Orman said. “We still advise people to test for COVID because sometimes the symptoms can overlap.”

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Respiratory symptoms indicative of a cold — including sore throat, mild body aches, runny nose and cough — often progress more slowly, Van Orman said. Still, students experiencing illness are recommended to test and take time to recover.

“If you get the flu, it really can have quite a negative impact, particularly if you happen to contract it during high periods of workload,” Van Orman said. “[Students] really may be impacted, and flu season often comes right at the end of the semester.”

People with underlying health conditions may be at increased risk for serious illness and are recommended to consult health care providers if they experience flu symptoms. If needed, providers may prescribe antiviral medications.

“[It’s] very important that you seek medical care if you’re over age 55 or you have an underlying health condition like lung disease, heart disease, diabetes — something that affects your immune system,” Van Orman said. “Early testing and treatment can prevent a more serious disease.”

Flu strains, including influenza type A and influenza type B, can peak at different times during the same season. Influenza vaccinations can reduce the risk of getting the flu and reduce the severity of illness.

“Sometimes there are multiple strains of the flu [and] you could get both in one season,” Van Orman said. “That’s another reason, even if you’ve had the flu, to get the vaccine because you might have gotten A, and then you’re going to get B.”

Influenza immunizations are available at the Engemann and Eric Cohen Student Health Centers, the Trojan Farmers Market, USC Pharmacies and pop-up clinics on campus. The vaccinations are covered by the Student Health Insurance Plan.

Preventive practices, including hand washing, can also reduce the risk of getting sick and spreading respiratory illnesses to others, Van Orman said.

“When we touch our mucous membranes — which is the inside of our mouth, our nose or our eyes — with our hands, that’s actually the route of transmission,” Van Orman said. “Washing your hands, avoiding touching your face and then not sharing items [are] probably the best things people can do to prevent viruses.”

If students experience symptoms of a cold or other respiratory illness, they are encouraged to take measures to prevent spread of the illness.

“This is a very high-risk environment to contract the flu because of just the close nature of how people live, at work and study and together,” Van Orman said. “I do encourage people to wear a mask when they have a cold, especially in those first couple days of a virus … Just wearing a mask when you’re out and about is a really great way to protect other people.”

If students do become sick during the semester, Van Orman recommended they take time to rest and recover, when possible.

“Even if it’s what we call a self-limited illness — meaning it’s going to get better [without treatment] — they do have a real academic, social, professional impact because they take that day off to recover and get better,” Van Orman said. “[We] encourage people to take a little bit of time for self-care if they do get a virus. It’s okay to do that.”

However, before peak flu season begins, students, faculty and staff can get the influenza immunization to help protect themselves and others from the virus.

“We really encourage people to think about getting the flu shot for their own well-being and to prevent being that ill at a crucial time of the semester,” Van Orman said. “That can prevent the spread of flu in our community and that includes our faculty, our staff [and] other students that might be at high risk.”