How to Protect Yourself from Flu in College Dorm

No sick days left man blowing nose

As a college student living in the school’s dorm, you can easily get the flu if you don’t protect yourself. You need to take care of your health because, as you know, prevention is better than cure. Ensure that you keep away from germs and seek medical attention if you notice familiar flu symptoms.

Since the flu is an airborne illness, it takes a person who’s infected visiting you just once for you to contract the virus as well.  If it’s your roommate who has the flu, take medication as a preventive measure. You’re better off swallowing pills rather than dealing with an itchy and runny nose all week.

Ensure you regularly clean the room, because the dust that settles on surfaces can very well carry the flu causing virus. With the flu, your life in college becomes more challenging. Swallowing is usually a problem, and sometimes, it can go as far as having a hard time breathing.

If you already have the flu, consider hiring a dissertation editing services to help you with writing the thesis. You don’t want to annoy people with your snorting in the library. You can resume writing the essay once the flu is gone. Remember, since you have a runny nose, looking down at your keyboard will be a challenge.

1.     Clean Dusty Surfaces

Most people get the flu because they’re staying in a dusty environment. As a college student, always keep your room organized and get rid of anything you no longer use. This makes cleaning surfaces easier. If there are books you’re done with, you can sell them or give them to someone who needs them.

If you have a roommate, divide cleaning duties to ensure no one is overwhelmed. This also helps you avoid conflict for two people who spend a significant amount of time in each other’s’ space. Reducing clutter keeps your room spotless because cleaning is made easier.

A clumsy room gives germs the room to lurk, and this is how you end up with the flu. Remember that dorm life is what you make it. Staying clean and responsible makes it fun, and you even enjoy each other’s company. Being in an untidy environment tends to make people cranky.

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Sit each other down and come up with a cleaning schedule. Ensure you consider each other’s class timetables so that no one is overwhelmed at any point. If you like to do the dishes, and your roommate prefers doing the laundry, you can decide to allocate these tasks to each other to avoid laziness.

2.     Invest in Cleaning Detergents

Using a wet cloth to clean surfaces is okay, but you should consider investing in cleaning detergents. These chemicals are designed to kill germs instantly. Ensure that as you clean surfaces, you don’t forget the windows. Once you’re done with the cleaning cloth, make sure you wash it and hang it out to dry. Observing cleanliness protects you from many more illnesses other than the flu.

Germ killing detergents with hospital-grade disinfectants are the best. They are especially suitable for small spaces like a dorm room because of germs like cramped up spaces. That is why you should begin by decluttering. Once every week, move things around and clean every corner within the dorm room.

3.     Always have Preventative Medication with you

Even after ensuring your room is always spotless, you need to have preventative medication with you. This way, if a friend brings a virus to your dorm room, you can fight it before it weakens your immune system.

Prevention also means keeping your hands clean at all times. Your hands spend a lot of time around your face, so each time you touch dirt, make sure you clean them. Keeping healthy habits up is especially crucial during the flu season because germs are everywhere. You don’t have to suffer through flue during cold seasons just because germs are in the air. Use germ-killing soap to wash your hands each time you get to the dorm because there is no telling what your hands came in contact with while you were outside.

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Keeping yourself free from the virus also projects your roommate from the flu. Invest in hand sanitizer for situations where you cannot access water to wash your hands. While at it, go for the flu vaccine to help reduce your risk of contracting the illness. Take advantage of your school’s health center to get all the medical supplies you need. You pay for these services; it would be a shame if you didn’t use them.

4.     Invest in a Humidifier

Humidifiers are known to significantly reduce the chances of the flu virus surviving in your dorm room. This is a valuable investment because it will last you for all the time you’re in college. With a humidifier, you make your indoor space a little safer, which goes a long way in keeping you healthy. With your busy schedule, the last thing you want is an illness slowing you down.

If the humidifier is a little pricy, discuss its purchase with your roommate since both of you will benefit from it. This is why you need to choose your roommate carefully. You don’t want to end up with a roommate who doesn’t care about their health. Remember that the humidifier needs to be kept clean; otherwise mold and mildew might end up building up in the room.

5.     Frequently take Out the Trash

Many students keep the trash in the dorm room for close to one week. Even if your room is clean, keeping trash instead of taking it out puts you at risk of contracting illnesses. Make a habit of taking the trash out every morning. Clean the bin too because it wouldn’t make sense to take the trash out and bring back a dirty bin into the dorm room.

As you make a duty roster, don’t forget to include the trash. It might seem like a simple task, but you’re bound to feel frustrated if your roommate doesn’t care ever to take the trash out.

Conclusion

As you can see, protecting yourself from the flu is pretty simple. All you need to do is ensure your room is clean. Clean surfaces so that dust doesn’t end up settling everywhere. Consider investing in a humidifier as they make it hard for germs to survive in your space.