COLLEGE PARK, Md. – More than 400 students at the University of Maryland (U-Md.) have been diagnosed with influenza, causing school officials on Feb. 13 to call it the worst flu outbreak in 10 years.
Doctor’s at the university’s health center are offering an antiviral medication that can lessen the severity and length of the symptoms for students who come in within 24 hours of the arrival of symptoms.
A week prior to the announcement by U-Md., officials at the University of Virginia said nearly 300 students had been infected with the flu since Jan. 21. The executive director of Elson Health Center Dr. James C. Turner said about two dozen students visited the health center during the holidays with flu-like symptoms. When students returned to the campus after winter break, the number of cases reached an all-time high.
Health officials recommend rest, fluids and over-the-counter medicine. Students at U-Md. can get flu shots for a small fee at the health center.
