SCHOOL Life

13th February 2019, by Amy C. (G.12)

As winter reaches its heights and temperatures quite often drop below zero, students at Korea International School Jeju (KISJ) frequently get the cold and suffer from runny noses, headaches, and sore throats. But from last week, the flu has been rapidly spreading around the school and afflicting many of the students.

About 50 students, from freshmen to seniors, were reported from having the flu, and the symptoms showed quickly. Some early symptoms include muscle pain, coughs, sore throats, headaches, and fever that go from a low-range of 37.7°C to temperatures as high as 40°C. Irene J., a junior, commented about her own symptoms when she got the flu, “I had a fever and I coughed a lot. I felt extremely cold even when I was under a thick blanket. This lasted for a few days.” Students with flu, or influenza, are also easily tired and have more abrupt symptoms onsets than those with cold. Students are also reported of having fairly common chills and moderate stomach aches. Symptoms usually begin with an average of 2 days, but fever and other symptoms can usually last longer, with up to 7 or 10 days.

But many ask, how is the flu different from a cold? Flu and the common cold are caused by different viruses, and colds are generally milder. Flu can also result in serious health problems, such as “pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations” (CDC: Center for Disease Control and Prevention). Different, immediate treatments are needed to deal with the flu or the cold.

Research has shown that people with flu can spread it to others to “up to about 6 feet away” (CDC). Flu viruses spread from person to person by “contact with respiratory droplets” (PAMF: Palo Alto Medical Foundation), when people cough, sneeze, or talk, and the droplets can land in others’ mouths or noses or possibly be inhaled into the lungs (CDC). Flu can also spread by direct contact or even shaking hands with someone who has the flu. Students and faculty members are thus encouraged to wash their hands regularly to prevent the virus from spreading and getting sick.

If a student or a teacher is found to have caught the flu, it is imperative that they are sent to the hospital and isolate themselves from others at school to prevent further contamination. They are to be sent home and get plenty of rest, stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids like water and hot tea, and visit the doctor for medication prescriptions. It is expected that the illness goes away on its own in about 7 to 10 days and in the meantime, students and teachers should take more care of themselves to feel better. The school itself has also enacted its own policy of preventing students with flu from coming to school for 5 consecutive days. An anonymous senior mentioned how a 5-day-takeoff seemed like an appropriate length of rest time to make himself feel better again. Irene J., however, who also missed school for almost a week noted how “it was very challenging to catch up with all the school works that [she] missed.” She noted, “the teachers sent me things to do, and it was difficult to do those works on my own without having the opportunity to ask others. Also, I couldn't take the tests. I have to do a make-up test tomorrow.” A lot of juniors and sophomores besides Irene who got the flu also expressed the same concerns about catching up with the heavy load of school work after missing 5 school days.

Mrs. Hingstman, who teaches and directs the choir assembly, also noted, “It’s been a bit inconvenient because so many students are sick with the flu. In choir, we depend on balance of voice parts and when a number of students are missing, it can be difficult to bring the music together. But I think it’s helpful knowing how students are going to be out and hoping that it prevents more students from getting sick.” Some students also noted how tests and projects were postponed to later dates because other students were absent and teachers wanted to balance out the learning progress between students. Surely the flu has caused some inconveniences for both the students and teachers.

Flu is winter’s biggest enemy, especially for students who are already stressed from the heavy loads of homework, projects, and tests. Students should always drink water, have plenty of rest, and eat healthy food to maintain good health and stay away from the flu or cold!