Flu Season At Peninsula High School

A new strain of the flu has reached Peninsula. Mutating every few years and increasingly becoming stronger, the flu has only been around Southern California for a few weeks after migrating over from the East Coast. According the Huffington Post, 18 deaths have been attributed to influenza and Boston has declared a state of emergency. Here in Southern California, we have yet to reach our peak.

So what does that mean for us Panthers? Wendy Keller in the nurse’s office as well as Dr. Mark Gellman’s office in Torrance agree that the best way to avoid catching this virus is to stay away from other infected people, cover your mouth when you cough, and “wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands,” Keller said.

At Peninsula, if a student is suspected of being infected by influenza, that student must go home and stay home until he or she can go 24 hours without a fever and be free from any medications. The flu is known to last up to three weeks.

The best way to get a step ahead of this outbreak: the flu shot. Not only does this vaccine help prevent infection in the first place, but if infected, the virus will not be able to reach its full potential, so symptoms will be less severe. Keller claims that the flu shot can prevent two to three different types of influenza.

According to Dr. Gellman’s associates, the best thing to do if infected with influenza is to take Tamiflu within 48 hours of catching the virus. The best way to keep a school healthy is to keep the infected at home.

Overall, to keep Peninsula High away from this powerful, new strain of the flu, sleep, drink water, wash hands, get the flu shot, and steer clear of the infected.