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Wellness

Influenza/ Hand Washing Awareness: What is the flu virus?

Gabriella Haggerty
Andrea Duarte
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at STCU chapter.

What is the Influenza Virus?

 

The influenza virus is one of the most common viruses in the human population. It is broken down to four codes; A, B, C, and D. Each type causes different symptoms and slightly different flues, hence why it is so hard to nail the flu vaccine with each season.

 

What is the true flu symptoms?

 

Influenza A: The symptoms of this virus are coughing, sneezing, sore throat, a mild fever, and chills. This is the most typical flu and easily spreads.

 

Influenza B: The symptoms of this virus are similar and as prevalent as type a, but these symptoms do vary. The symptoms are fever, chills, sore throat, coughing, sneezing, and body aches.

 

Influenza C: The symptoms of this virus are mild compared to types a and b. The symptoms are fever, dry cough, runny nose, headache, and body aches.

 

Influenza D: The symptoms of this virus are mostly found in cattle is very rare in humans.

 

When to wash your hands

 

Washing your hands is a vital way of ensuring you do not get sick. Wash your hands before and after you use the bathroom, before and after you eat, and after you touch anything that has a lot of bacteria ie. shared phones, keyboards, remotes.

 

 

 

Information can from, “Influenza (Flu).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 27 Sept. 2017, www.cdc.gov/flu/about/viruses/types.htm.

 

I'm Latina loud and proud! I'm originally from Arizona but I'm stuck in the winter wonderland of Minnesota. I am a pre-law student majoring in criminal justice. I am obsessed with all thing beauty, psychology, and true crime!
Andrea Duarte-Alonso is a grad from Saint Catherine University where she received her bachelor's of Art in Political Science, Women's Studies, and English. She founded HC STCU in order to include voices that are hardly ever represented in media. Andrea is a storyteller, writer, and a political enthusiast. Her areas of interest lie in writing (check her website storiesfromunheardvoices.com that was created for her community), traveling, and fighting for social justice issues.