A guide to surviving Freshers Flu

The annual flu season is almost upon us with it the start of the new term. Having survived a global pandemic, the threat of the freshers’ flu is stopping nobody from enjoying their nights out this year.

There’s no doubt that the mass convening of students, from across the globe, to live in student accommodation with questionable hygiene standards can make you ill. Moving into student accomodation is a big step in your social and academic life, but also for your body, which is introduced to a cocktail of germs, viruses and bacteria from a new environment, new diet, and new people. Often, freshers’ flu is similar to a bad cold. It is a sort of fever with sore throat and headaches that can be exacerbated by late nights, alcohol consumption and poor diet, all common amongst students. The lifestyle choices you make can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to the fresher’s flu. So, what can you do?

The flu-like symptoms listed above are very similar to that of COVID-19 so make sure you do a test to check if you’re positive. Also make sure to consult the NHS meningitis page if you notice a rash, sensitivity to light or a stiff neck. Fresher’s flu symptoms, like the common cold, can last around a week and shouldn’t be too difficult to get through – if you’re struggling, consider consulting your GP for further advice or treatment.

There are many ways to prepare for fresher’s flu to make your recovery as quick as possible. The following prevention tactics may even help you to avoid the flu altogether

Prevention

Sign up to the GP as soon as you get here. Get all the admin work out of the way as soon as you can. In case you catch something more serious than fresher’s flu, it’ll be good to have all the forms already filled out so that you can contact your local GP should you need to.

Ensure your vaccines are up to date

Checking that you’ve had all your vaccines and that they’re all up to date will keep you safe from a lot of the more serious viruses that could be travelling around uni. Cases of mumps were rising in my first-year accommodation, despite many of us having had the MMR vaccine, so make sure you keep an eye out for any bodily changes.

Maintain a healthy diet

Maintaining a healthy diet can be difficult at university, especially during Freshers. Eating a lot of vitamin C-rich foods, like oranges, tomatoes, and broccoli can help support your immune system.

Drink lots of water (and maybe less alcohol)

Staying hydrated can help prevent illness by helping your body flush out toxins. It can speed up the recovery process if you do fall ill, but more importantly, it can help ease those hangovers!

Sleep

Sleep not only recharges your body, giving it a much-needed period of rest during a busy perio, but also enhances your immune system. When you sleep, certain types of protective proteins and antibodies help fight off infection

Avoid smoking and vaping

It is a well-known fact that smoking can make you more likely to catch the flu, but recent studies have shown that this may also be true for vaping. Sharing cigarettes and vapes can make catching colds (and a host of other diseases) a lot easier too.

Hygiene

Student accommodations, clubs and bars can be extremely dirty places, so making sure you maintain good hygiene, using hand sanitiser can go a long way in protecting you against illness.

Fresher’s flu is the unofficial initiation for all those starting university, so don’t be worried if, or when, you start feeling a bit ill, it’s all part of the Uni experience. Stay aware of any significant changes to your health and let your GP know if you encounter further issues.