By William Coffman, Opinions & Editorials Editor

Xavier is witnessing a rise in flu cases coinciding with a rise in national reports of illness. The country is currently in the peak of its worst flu season since the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

“Doctor’s office visits for influenza hospitalizations have reached the highest levels in 15 years,” Today reported. 

With the larger-than-normal number of cases occurring across the country, healthcare facilities are or risk becoming overwhelmed.

That rise in cases is being seen here in Cincinnati, with medical institutions in Hamilton County and surrounding counties struggling to meet the needs of the increased number of patients. 

“14 hospitals in Hamilton County spent a total of over 6,000 hours on diversion,” according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

When a hospital is on diversion, their ER is overloaded and requires ambulances to take patients elsewhere.

 “UC Medical Center topped the list, spending 46 – or 36% – of the first 126 days on diversion. Mercy Health and Mercy Health Anderson followed, spending 40 and 38 days on diversion respectively,” the Enquirer reported. The report analyzed the hours and converted the data into days to see what hospitals were most frequently on diversion.

The flu season’s effects are being seen on campus as well, with sickness circulating through the student body. Sophomore biomedical sciences major Drew Barhorsthas noticed a sickness impacting residents of the Village, with symptoms predominantly being a cough and sore throat. 

“A lot of my friends have been sick recently. Five of my close friends have been sick in the last two weeks,” Barhorst said. 

Dr. Stephen Halm is the founding dean of Xavier’s new College of Osteopathic Medicine, which will begin operations in the fall of 2027. Halm recommended a few ways Xavier students can stay healthy and protect themselves and others during the flu season. 

“There are clear protections. That includes hand washing. When you walk by an alcohol sanitizer, put some on your hands and wipe. Wash with water – even if you don’t think you have to wash, go ahead and wash your hands,” Halm said.

Halm also recommended ways students who are sick or showing symptoms of sickness can help keep the virus contained with their own actions. 

“Stay away from people who are symptomatic, and if you are symptomatic yourself, it’s probably beneficial to wear a mask and protect the people around you. They are simple measures, but they are measures that have been effective, even prior to vaccination times,” Halm said. 

Barhorst has integrated some of these protective measures into his routine to avoid getting sick. 

“I cook a lot, so I am now sure to wash my hands frequently before I touch the food and after eating, and I think doing that has worked well,” Barhorst said.

Another concern that arises on a college campus during flu season is class attendance. Students who fall sick risk falling behind academically, as they will likely miss class due to their illness. 

“I definitely fell behind. The biggest reason was missing lectures and valuable class time. It was hard to catch back up after I had to do that,” sophomore data science major Stephen Klayer, who missed a few days of classes earlier in the semester, said. “I would ask friends for notes and do online assignments, but it is tricky. I had a quiz when I came back that I wasn’t ready for, just because of my absences due to sickness.”

The CDC typically lists the peak of flu season as the period of December to February, and as the weather warms, campus can likely expect some diminishing sickness on campus. With spring break on the horizon, it is yet to be seen whether a resurgence in some other sicknesses will follow the return of students to campus or if the warmer weather persists and campus is greeted with a sickness free spring.