It seems as though it happens every year. The temperatures cool, holiday cheer is just around the corner, and just about everyone you know is sick.
Not only have students and professors noticed an uptick in illness at Indiana University, but doctors on campus have as well.
“There’s just a lot of illness all over campus,” said Dr. Aaron Carroll, IU’s chief health officer. “Anecdotally, I’m hearing from a lot of parents about their students being ill.”
Numbers show that COVID cases have been on the decline, but that does not mean that fears of catching the virus have dissipated as well.
Professor Ray Fellman discusses the impacts of sickness on his teaching.
Professor Ray Fellman, a voice professor at IU who was recently diagnosed with COVID, has noticed a similar response to students feeling ill during and after the worst parts of the pandemic.
“Over the course of the semester, there have been waves of virus going around that isn’t COVID,” said Professor Fellman. “Everyone’s like, ‘oh god, it’s COVID,’ and then they realize it’s not and that it’s just some other ‘thing.’”
While COVID cases have absolutely gone down, another illness has taken its place, as it does right around this time every year.
“It sounds like there’s a fairly large amount of flu,” said Dr. Carroll. “Given what we are seeing in Marion and Monroe county, there’s a lot of flu going around.”
Whether an illness turns out to be flu, COVID, or just a simple cold, it makes teaching quite difficult, especially for Professor Fellman, who teaches voice lessons that are most beneficial when conducted in-person.
“The mode of teaching that I do is one-on-one in a studio, so first, there’s the issue of if the sickness is going to be passed on in a room like that,” said Professor Fellman.
With his recent positive COVID test, Professor Fellman has been forced to cancel classes for the week. Whether it be a student or professor, missing class and material is one of the biggest consequences of illness.
IU Chief Health Officer Dr. Aaron Carroll details the rising flu cases and other illnesses on campus and state-wide.
There is good news when it comes to both COVID and the flu in that vaccines are widely available, and they work.
“This vaccine turns out to be pretty good, the problem is just not enough people have received it,” said Dr. Carroll when discussing this year’s flu vaccine.
Another method he recommended is a classic technique that should not come as a surprise to anyone.
“For the flu, good handwashing really, really helps,” said Dr. Carroll. “Especially before you eat.”
When asked what his number one piece of advice was to stay healthy, Dr. Carroll went back to what he has repeated over and over in interviews
“Get vaccinated.”
