By Danielle Sidi ’14, Staff Writer

Influenza in the United States this winter has been classified as an epidemic. The flu has spread to 41 states, which constitutes the worst outbreak reported in the past decade. The H3N2 strain has most hurt the elderly, and here in New Jersey, a staggering 31.1% of people have reported having the flu.

Despite the national impact, “Newark Academy has been pretty lucky,” says school nurse, Ms. Neary. “Only 19 to 20 kids on average have been absent in a single day, which is pretty low. It has to be 80 people, about 15% of the student body and teachers, absent in order for the school to shut down. Also, some of the 19 to 20 unhealthy people are on different days of the illness, so the flu is not infecting all of them at the same time, there is overlap”.

Although the Academy has avoided a major outbreak, the flu’s prominence has had some impact on everyday life. Many students still go to school even if they are sick, despite a Newark Academy rule that instructs students to stay home until they have been fever free for 24 hours. Many students choose to ignore this rule, believing attendance is necessary in order to avoid falling behind on work. This increases the risk of the flu spreading rapidly, and has required everyone to stay hyper-aware of the possibility of getting sick. Ms. Neary says, “we try to reduce the risk of passing the infection around, and if everyone followed the rule it would reduce the amount of exposure.”

As inevitable as infection may seem, Ms. Neary provided many specific ways to prevent getting the flu. “The main methods of prevention are to wash your hands, sneeze into tissues, and discard them properly. Coughing into a sleeve will reduce risk of spreading the infection significantly. Don’t shake hands with people and keep your hands away from your mouth, nose, and eyes. If you have a fever, aches, or chills, stay home! Before returning to school or work you have to be fever free.”

Ms. Neary advises students to get the flu shot, adding, “It does not give you the flu – that is a myth. They do not inject you with a live vaccine.” The flu shot does not always work – usually because the person contracted the infection before the shot was administered – and it also does not protect against every type of flu, as only 91% of the flu strains detected in 2013 are included in the vaccine. However, it can be helpful in quickening recovery time, and lowering risk of infection. “The real flu knocks you out 7 days, but the shot reduces the symptoms,” Ms Neary explained.

The flu shot can only do so much, but it is one of several measures that, if taken, can greatly increase one’s chances of staying healthy. If everyone took the right precautions, Newark Academy could easily overcome the flu, leaving it nothing more than a minor inconvenience.