Daily Mississippian

The flu is sweeping the Ole Miss campus with 118 cases diagnosed last week in the Student Health Center, Barbara Collier, the director of University Health Services, said.

Masks are being distributed at the health center to contain the spread of germs.

"People who are coughing or febrile are requested to wear a mask. Others who want to protect themselves are putting on masks," Collier said.

The health center distributes the masks every year as part of standard procedure, she said.

The flu vaccine is still being offered at the health center for $20, though they are in short supply. There are probably no more than 15 or 20 left, Collier said. Also, the vaccine may not protect a person from getting the flu if they have already been exposed.

"The best precaution would have been to have gotten the flu vaccine when it was offered in October," Collier said.

Even though flu shots are running out, it is not too late to protect yourself from the flu, Collier said.

Washing your hands, keeping your hands away from your nose and mouth and staying away from large crowds can decrease your chances of getting the flu, Collier said. Getting a good amount of sleep every night, managing stress and eating healthy foods can also be beneficial, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site.

Those who suspect they have the flu should see a doctor within 48 hours since they may be a candidate for an antiviral drug, Collier said.

Tamiflu is one antiviral drug that can treat and prevent the flu if diagnosed early, according to the CDC.

Some symptoms of the flu are fever, headache, tiredness, cough, sore throat, congestion and body aches, according to the CDC.

Anyone with the flu should remember to cover their mouth with a tissue or their upper arm, Collier said. The best medications to alleviate flu symptoms are Tylenol, Aleve and Ibuprofen, she said.

The flu season can start as early as November and tends to peak around February, according to the CDC. Lasts year's season was fairly mild, but this year's season has already been worse in the number of deaths caused by the influenza virus.

In our area, the flu has just started to peak, so it's too early to compare this season to previous ones, Collier said.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services Web site, the number of different strains of the influenza virus make it difficult to control the flu.

Each year, the flu strain to vaccinate against for that particular flu season is chosen by a panel composed of members of the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration and the CDC, the CDC Web site said.

Although there is no guarantee that the strain chosen for vaccination will be the strain that actually circulates that flu season, the vaccination strain and the circulating strain match 90 percent of the time, the Web site said.

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