The Catalyst

By Lindsay Hyde, Sports Editor

University of Kansa freshman Arielle Spiridigliozzi, 18, started getting sick with a sore throat, allergy symptoms, a burning chest, and even a sinus infection. She never would’ve guessed it was a case of swine flu.

"I mean, I'd never, ever guessed that coming into freshman year I would get the fringing swine flu," Spiridigliozzi said. "We took all the necessary precautions. Like, we really did. It wasn't like I was licking the handlebars of the bus or anything. I was hand sanitizing. I was being very careful. I don't know how this happened.” With a stuffy nose, body aches, fever, and coughing, Spiridigliozzi wears a face mask to make sure she doesn’t infect her roommates. They were asked to not leave the room as much as possible anyways, so the school provides door-to-door service for dining hall.

Spiridigliozzi and her roommate, Kaitlyn Perry, 18, have been stuck in their dorm suffering for more than a day. When Perry got sick, it hit her suddenly. She was shopping and came down with a fever instantly and felt like she didn’t have the strength to stand. Her flu hasn’t been confirmed as H1N1 strain, but a third and fourth roommate have been confirmed.

“The university estimates about 340 students, or 1 percent of the student body, have flu they suspect is H1N1” said Patricia Denning, medical chief of staff at Watkins Health Center. “The number of cases could be higher if students were not seeking care from campus doctors and nurses.”

Vaccine supplies will not be available until late October and will take about five weeks from the first inoculation, two are required, until they work and are effective. Swine flu is no joke, so make sure to wash your hands all the time, don’t share drinks, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and be aware of the symptoms.