Flu Season Is Upon Us

You may have already heard it from your student, but the flu has hit Cedarville’s campus! We recognize it is hard to have your child far away when they’re sick, but, rest assured, we are doing everything we can to help students when they are sick. We also want to provide some guidance for what your student should do if he or she misses classes due to illness.

Students should check their syllabi for each course to understand the professor’s requirements for being notified of an absence and policies for making up work. In general, we recommend that students email their professors to let them know about their illness. Students should keep in mind that some professors may require a note from University Medical Services (UMS) or a doctor to excuse an absence. Overall, we encourage students to communicate with faculty members. Our faculty can address specific situations best when they have information as early as possible.

Students should also consider contacting a classmate who would be willing to share notes from class while they are out. When your student is healthy enough, he or she can take advantage of services from The Cove, our academic enrichment center, to get caught up on work they missed.

If a student misses chapel due to illness, chapel excuses should be submitted online.

Additionally, University Medical Services (UMS) sent the following information to the campus community last week, which we thought might be helpful for you as well:

1. Influenza, or the flu, is a viral infection of the respiratory system that is highly contagious. Influenza spreads easily from person to person by either breathing in or coming into contact with the minute droplets that are carried from the mouth or nose of an infected person when they cough, sneeze, sing, or talk. The flu virus can also live for a short time on objects like doorknobs, phones, countertops, etc.
2. Common symptoms of influenza are a sudden onset of fever, cough, body aches, sore throat, headache, and fatigue.
3. Prevention measures include getting the flu vaccine, wash your hands as frequently as possible, avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, use good cough etiquette, disinfect surfaces in your living and work areas, and avoid close contact with ill persons.
4. If you are ill or have influenza, there is an antiviral medication called Tamiflu that can shorten your illness if it is given within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms so it is very important to seek medical attention if you think you might have the flu. You can also protect others from getting the flu by staying home from work or school if you have influenza until your fever is gone for 24 hours without Tylenol or similar medications. Be sure to take good care of yourself by drinking plenty of fluids, eating healthy foods, washing your linens after being ill, and replacing your toothbrush after your illness is gone, to name a few.
5. If you are ill with symptoms such as high fever, respiratory difficulty, chest pain, or severe dizziness, these are red flag symptoms that you should go to the ER or call 911. Visit the UMS website for a list of local healthcare providers in case you are not able to come to UMS for medical care. 

We are praying for the health of all our students!