SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 | THE MEREDITH HERALD • Educating Women to Excel \ VOL XXVII • ISSUE 2
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Green Tip for
the Week of
September 9
Take care of the clothes
you have. If an issue
arises such as a hole
or a button falling off,
either sew it back on or
find the name of a local
seamstress. Don’t just
throw It away.
MEREDITH VS THE FLU
Jennifer Cash
Staff Writer
You’re sitting in class and you
hear it: “cough, cough.” The per
son next to you is sick and you just
came in contact with them. You
wish you could move seats; you
•don’t want to get sick. What do you
do? Well luckily even when you get
caught in a situation like that there
are so many ways you can help
prevent yourself from getting sick.
Especially now with the new HlNl
(Swine-Origin Flu) in rapid spread
and the regular seasonal flu about to
hit, everyone can and needs to do
their part to stay healthy.
The flu is a contagious infection
in the nose, throat arid lungs caused
by the influenza virus. Symptoms
of the flu include: fever (100.4 or
greater) or chills and cough or sore
throat. Symptoms may also include
'runny nose; body aches, headache,
tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting. If
you have any of these symptoms
you need to go to the health center
right away. Sherri Henderson, Di
rector of Health Services' and Dr.
Ann? Smithson, College Physician,
both strongly encourage students to
get vaccinated for the flu. Meredith
students, faculty and staff will get
the opportunity to receive free flu
shots if they have preventive ben
efits with Blue Cross Blue Shield of
North Carolina. Blue Cross will be
on campus five times which leaves
plenty of opportunities to get vacci
nated! For students who do not have
Blue Cross, they can receive flu
shots for $20 in the Health Center.
HlNl is quickly spreading through
colleges all over the nation; Wake
Forest University, UNC Wilming
ton and Emory University have al
ready confirmed cases, as well as
many others. The entire Meredith
community needs to do their best at
trying to stay healthy and keep from
spreading germs. The people at the
highest risk for HlNl are people
between the ages of six months and
twenty four years old; that’s a ma
jority of the Meredith community!
Others at high risk for HlNl are
pregnant women, healthcare and
emergency medical personnel, and
people with chronic conditions such
as asthma, heart disease, or diabe
tes. A vaccine for HlNl has been
developed and Meredith has or
dered a supply of them; check the
Health Center website and e-news
for more info on HlNl vaccina
tion clinics at Meredith. The Health
Center will administer the H.lNl
vaccine at no cost to those who re
ceive the vaccine at Meredith.
The most important tip that both
Ms. Henderson and Dr. Smithson
gave IS to WASH YOUR HANDS.
Wash your hands frequently
throughout the day for 15-20 sec
onds (that’s the length to sing the
Happy Birthday or ABC song
twice). Every time you touch a
door knob or sit down at a desk you
are coming in contact with germs.
It is also important to wash your
hands before you eat. After you are
done getting your food in the din
ing hall; set your /ood down and
either gel hand sanitizer (located at
the entrance to both dining sides of
the dining hall) or wash your hands.
Other important tips for staying
healthy are:
UNIVERSITY
VOLUNTEERS
PAGE 3
Cover your nose and mouth
with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze, if you do not have a tis
sue then cough into your elbow or
shoulder, then wash your hands or
use sanitizer. Avoid touching your
eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread
through these openings. Do not
share food, drinks, or utensils with
other people. Eat healthy, exercise,
and get lots of sleep to help build
your immune system. When out in
public areas always use your own
pen. No one thinks about it, but
lots of germs are collected on pens
used in public, especially at doc
tor’s offices and pharmacies. Wash
your hands after you’ve been in the
grocery store. Grocery cart handles
have more germs than toilets.
If you or anyone you know is
sick or may have symptoms please
contact the health center at (919)
760-8535. If you.suspect your
roommate or suitemates are sick
and they choose to do nothing about
it, contact your RA or RD because
everyone needs to be stepping
up to do their part in keeping our
campus , healthy. If you do get sick
please stay home. It is important
for students who have had a fever'
to stay home until at least twenty
four hours have passed since they
last had a fever. The fever should
be gone without the use of fever-
reducing medicine. Also, students
should be seen in the health center
before they return to class. If you
are diagnosed with HINI, students
who live within a two hundred mile
radius-will be asked to go home by
car, not public transportation. For
continued on page 3
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