A confirmed case of influenza A was reported to the Flint Hills Community Health Center Board of Directors earlier this week on Oct. 22.
This is the first reported case this flu season in Lyon County, but it has not reached the Emporia State campus quite yet, according to Mary McDaniel Anschutz, director of the student wellness center and health services.
“We have not had any (flu cases) yet,” McDaniel Anschutz said. “Knock on wood.”
According to the weekly influenza surveillance report from the Center for Disease Control, as of Oct. 12, the flu activity remains low so far this season across the U.S.
There are plenty of easy ways to help prevent illness, McDaniel Anschutz said.
“The best thing is to get a flu shot, which we still have plenty of,” McDaniel Anschutz said. “…Handwashing, of course, is an excellent way to help not transmit the virus to yourself from someone else, and being careful not to touch your hands to your eyes, nose (and) mouth before you’ve washed your hands.”
The Student Wellness Center will be holding two more walk-in flu shot clinics this semester. Both will be from 2-4 p.m. on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 in the Student Wellness Center. While most insurance companies cover the shot, there is also a discounted price of $10 for students without insurance.
