Respiratory viruses including COVID-19, the flu and the common cold are continuing to spread across campus. As the seasons change, health professionals lend their advice to help students stop the excessive spread of germs.
“If you are having nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, headache, body aches or chills, those are the symptoms that you’re going to want to look out for to seek out a COVID test,” health promotion and assessment specialist at the DeWeese Health Center Amanda Bretzin said.
Since the start of the semester through the morning of Oct. 5, 493 COVID tests have been conducted at the DeWeese Health Center, resulting in 103 positive COVID cases, Bretzin said.
“It is expected that we will see these numbers increase around this time of year,” Bretzin said.
Senior computer science major TJ Laryea experienced asymptomatic COVID in late September after contracting the virus from his roommate and testing positive.
“I had no symptoms,” Laryea said. “I was perfectly fine except for having a scratchy throat but no flu-like symptoms or anything.”
According to Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials, studies suggest about 1 in 5 people infected with coronavirus never develop symptoms. The common lack of symptoms makes it harder to detect COVID before it spreads.
Laryea said when he contracted COVID last December he felt very ill, unlike his most recent brush with the virus.
“I had COVID last December, right before Christmas, and I was in bed for two weeks when I had it last time,” Laryea said.
Laryea said he received the initial COVID vaccination and the booster but has not yet received this season’s updated COVID vaccine.
Within the last couple of weeks, DeWeese has received this season’s COVID vaccines and has administered 30 doses, Bretzin said. Vaccines can also be obtained from local pharmacies such as Walgreens and CVS.
“We’re working on getting more of those [COVID vaccines] here at the health center,” Bretzin said.
Free at home COVID testing kits are available in DeWeese’s lobby with a limit of one box per student.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance recommends staying home if you’re sick and wearing a mask for an additional five days after symptoms improve. It is recommended that you stay home and away from others for 24 hours after seeing an improvement in symptoms and no fever without the utilization of fever-reducing medication.
After Laryea tested positive, he missed class to complete a three-day precautionary quarantine as recommended by a DeWeese physician. Following COVID guidelines, washing hands regularly, taking immune boosting supplements and getting enough rest can help stop the spread of viruses during cold months.
The DeWeese Health Center will be offering multiple flu vaccination clinics for students, faculty and staff for the 2024-2025 flu season. The next clinic is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 16 in the Kent State Student Center Ballroom.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling 330-672-2322 or by visiting the health center’s patient portal. Patients are asked to bring their health insurance card to their appointment.
“If you haven’t been up-to-date on your COVID vaccine or your flu vaccine, now is a great time to do it,” Bretzin said. “We have them here [DeWeese Health Center] and are happy to get you scheduled.”
Lauren Bischof is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
