The flu and the common cold share many symptoms, However, the two are vastly different.

The common cold symptoms arise slowly and are much more light than those of the flu. The flu may even cause serious health problems such as pneumonia or bacterial infections, requiring hospitalization.

Tensions are on a rise globally due to the new coronavirus. A coronavirus is a group of multiple RNA viruses that cause a variety of diseases in humans and other animals. The initial symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. These, however, can develop into much larger problems if they aren’t dealt with soon after the first signs of infection.

The current death toll for the new coronavirus is 1,400 people worldwide; another 63,000 have been infected by the virus.

Coronavirus fears aside, cold and flu germs abound. Allen Community College is no exception, and many students, faculty and staff have felt the effects, or missed school days.

There are ways to avoid the terrible effects of the flu. Although immunity from the flu can’t be guaranteed these are a few tips and tricks that will help avoid the flu.

The first and most important tip is to get the flu shot. With every year’s flu season, a new shot is created. The intent is to target three or four flu viruses that are believed to be the most common during that specific season.

Between 2005 and 2014 the flu vaccine saved the lives of 40,000 people in the United States alone.

More tips are just to practice good health habits, including:

• Avoiding contact with those who are sick.
• Promoting the use of tissues and disposing of them immediately after use.
• Regularly wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your mouth, eyes, or nose without washing your hands first, this is the easiest way for the flu to get into your system.
• Make sure to wipe down surfaces that those with the flu might have come into contact with.
• Drink lots of water, eat a healthy diet, and get a lot of sleep.
• Avoid stressful situations, as it is proven as those with less stress are more likely to stay healthy and avoid becoming sick.

Lastly, symptoms of the flu start to appear, go see a health care professional and get evaluated. It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Sources for this story were https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/flu-overview-facts and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html.