Inklings dec 2014

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Crown Point High School @InklingsCPHS Dec. 19, 2014 Vol. 79 Issue 4

YEAR IN REVIEW The polar vortex, snow days and sub-zero temperatures made headlines this year.

S See what other events and trends highlighted 2014 on pages 8 and 9

SICK DAYS As flu rates increase, doctors advise students to heed warnings

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FLU SEASON

t starts with a sore throat and persistent cough. The symptoms aren’t life-threatening, though, so it’s easy to brush them off. As the week progresses, however, more indicators arise---a runny nose, headache, 100 degree fever---and, suddenly, the afflicted is out for seven, eight, nine days.

what you need to know, and how to protect yourself

ONE OUT OF FIVE Americans get the flu every year flu viruses spread through droplets in the air

Influenza generally occurs

1 TO 4

SYMPTOMS feeling feverish Sore HEADACHES or dry s t u f f y o r throat r u n n y n o s e Vomiting and diarrhea muscle or b o d y a ch e s

days after exposure

Peak levels generally occur from December to March DEC

JAN

‘‘

FEB

FATIGUE

flu viruses can live up to 24 HOURS on hard surfaces like desks and tables

WHAT’S THE BEST TREATMENT FOR INFLUENZA?

REST, LIQUID, ANTIVIRALS Adults may be able to infect others beginning ONE DAY before symptoms develop and FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS after becoming sick

Stay home Avoid close contact with others Cover your coughs

EVERYONE six

prevent the flu is to get a

months and older should get a flu vaccine

FLU VACCINE each People most at risk: kids 6 months-5 years, elderly

MAR

IF YOU DO GET THE FLU:

The SINGLE best way to

facts and statistics from flu.gov and CDC.gov

If you immunize a certain percentage of the population, almost everyone is going to be protected. When the sick person comes into the school, there are so many immunized people that the idea that it’s going to be transferred to someone who hasn’t had the vaccine is more unlikely. That certain percentage is about 85 percent, but there’s no way 85 percent of the student population at Crown Point has been immunized.

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-Dr. Thomas Pawlowski

A turn on Turnabout Changes are ahead for this year’s dance page 2

An estimated 484 students have experienced such a scenario, falling ill to the recent outbreak of the H3N2 flu virus. Early data suggested that this year’s flu season would be severe. Years when the H3N2 strain of the virus predominated have been associated with a significant increase in severe flu illnesses and hospitalizations. So far this season, the early predictions have proven true both on a local and regional level. The Midwest has had an estimated 1,045 people test positive for an H3 flu virus as of early December, according to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) influenza surveillance report. Crown Point alone has seen a significant increase in flu patients over the past month. “The numbers are astounding,” Franciscan alliance express care doctor Thomas Pawlowski said. “From those who we see here at the express care in Crown Point, we’ll see probably 10-15 positive flu cases a day. It’s affecting mostly children and high school aged students, and they end up being out of school for anywhere from a week to 10 days.” The flu virus is a respiratory illness that spreads from person to person through droplets in the air. Each year, the World Health Organization collaborates with influenza research centers across the globe to decide which strains of the flu vaccines will cover. Flu seasons are often times unpredictable, however, as viruses have the tendency to mutate rapidly from season to season. This year’s mutated H3N2 strain was not detected until last March, when it was too late to include them into this year’s vaccine. “Unfortunately, about half of the H3N2 viruses that we’ve analyzed this season are different from the H3N2 virus that’s included in this year’s flu vaccine,” CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said. “They are different enough that we’re concerned that protection from vaccinations against these drifted H3N2 viruses may be lower than we usually see.” This year’s flu vaccine has, in fact, proven to be ineffective, resulting in 5,077 positive testings for the H3N2 virus nation-wide. See Flu virus on page 3

Feature

News

BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM editor-in-chief

A&E

Don’t put it off Make use of time during break with finals upcoming page 7

Flix picks See which Netflix shows and movies are marathon-worthy page 14


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