Spring Break
Flu on the rise in college students
Hannah Alexander
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: News
Flu cases this year for Drexel students as well as students at colleges across the country are higher, according to Director of Student Health and Family Medicine Clerkship, Gregory Dobash.
According to The Washington Post, outbreaks of influenza as well as gastrointestinal viruses have been "driving a record number of students to campus health centers."
The Washington Post reported flu cases at the University of Maryland College Park, George Mason University, University of Virginia, Georgetown University and George Washington University.
"It is a good time for all those contagious diseases," Dobash said.
According to Dobash, the flu season at Drexel usually gets a later start, beginning in January and leading up to April. The typical flu season in Pennsylvania begins in November and ends in mid-March.
"This will go on for at least another five or six weeks," Barbara Rideout, assistant professor of graduate nursing, said.
The Daily Pennsylvanian also reported on this year's flu outbreak at several colleges across the country including Millersville University, the University of Norte Dame and the University of South Carolina. According to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Millersville University's student clinic ran out of flu tests after giving 150 within a two-week period.
Currently, the student health center at Drexel is in its second year of giving rapid flu tests, which give a clear positive or negative result. Dobash said he has found these tests to be fairly conclusive and accurate, although he is forced to sometimes use different brands of the rapid flu tests.
"I wonder about the sensitivity and specificity between the brands," Dobash said.
Pennsylvania's Department of Health web site keeps track of flu activity from week to week during flu season. According to their web site, the 2007-2008 year has the highest number of flu cases since the 2003-2004 year. So far in the 2007-2008 flu season, there have been nearly 2,500 documented flu cases. In the past four years, that number had not exceeded 2,000.
According to The Washington Post, outbreaks of influenza as well as gastrointestinal viruses have been "driving a record number of students to campus health centers."
The Washington Post reported flu cases at the University of Maryland College Park, George Mason University, University of Virginia, Georgetown University and George Washington University.
"It is a good time for all those contagious diseases," Dobash said.
According to Dobash, the flu season at Drexel usually gets a later start, beginning in January and leading up to April. The typical flu season in Pennsylvania begins in November and ends in mid-March.
"This will go on for at least another five or six weeks," Barbara Rideout, assistant professor of graduate nursing, said.
The Daily Pennsylvanian also reported on this year's flu outbreak at several colleges across the country including Millersville University, the University of Norte Dame and the University of South Carolina. According to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Millersville University's student clinic ran out of flu tests after giving 150 within a two-week period.
Currently, the student health center at Drexel is in its second year of giving rapid flu tests, which give a clear positive or negative result. Dobash said he has found these tests to be fairly conclusive and accurate, although he is forced to sometimes use different brands of the rapid flu tests.
"I wonder about the sensitivity and specificity between the brands," Dobash said.
Pennsylvania's Department of Health web site keeps track of flu activity from week to week during flu season. According to their web site, the 2007-2008 year has the highest number of flu cases since the 2003-2004 year. So far in the 2007-2008 flu season, there have been nearly 2,500 documented flu cases. In the past four years, that number had not exceeded 2,000.
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