Junior Christy Wirt spent the day in bed dying -- or at least she felt like it.
The 24-hour flu kept Wirt at home and in bed, vomiting and complaining to her roommate.
"I was very happy that it only lasted a day," Wirt said. "It's not fun being sick."
Every day, about half of the Health Center's appointments, or about 90 students, come because of colds, Dr. Kent Bullis, medical director of the Health Center, said. Much of students' colds are triggered by the environment.
"The rapid change in weather gets people sick," Bullis said. "(It) puts a lot of stress on air passages."
The colder temperatures also keep more people inside, Bullis said. This increases person-to-person contact and spreads germs, so students in residence halls run the greatest risk of illness.
"It's usually just part of the experience," Sam Rak, a resident assistant at DeMotte Hall, said. "(It'll) blow through."
Starting Wednesday, the Health Center will offer $10 flu shots. For $50, students can opt for flu vaccinations in spray form.
"My guess is that the average student is not going to buy that because of the cost," Bullis said.
Rak said over-the-counter medicine cured his cold, but he can't hand it out as an RA. Instead, he advises students to visit the Health Center.
"Sometimes it makes you feel better to go somewhere if you're feeling sick," Rak said. "I tell them to go to the Health Center if they think they're going to miss a class."
A large number of the dining staff have called in sick this week with the flu, Liz VanMatre, assistant director of operations for residence hall dining, said.
"This is the start of it -- a lot of stomach flus and colds," she said.
For students who have the flu, dining halls offer food packages. After filling out a flu form and having an RA sign it, students can hand their ID's to friends to pick up their food.
"That way they can still eat a meal," VanMatre said. "It has Sprite, chicken-noodle soup, apple sauce ... things that won't upset the stomach too much."
She said she expects RA's will request the forms in the upcoming weeks.
For colds, Bullis said over-the-counter medications will relieve most symptoms. Decongestants, throat lozenges, and aspirin are available at several dining facilities, like the Out of Bounds market in the LaFollette Complex.
Out of Bounds expects a high demand for medication this weekend because of the cold weather forecast, VanMatre said.
"This weekend with the big weather change, kids will buy more of that," VanMatre said. "This'll be the week."
Freshman Nathan Berggoetz already has a cold. He said it seems like the whole campus is sick.
"There are a lot of people in my classes, and it seems like there's always somebody with a really bad cold," he said.
The cheapest way to stay healthy is hand washing, Bullis said. Keeping hands away from your face and mouth slows the ingestion of germs.
"The single most important thing is to wash your hands," Bullis said. "If you mess with your eyes or mouth or anything, wash your hands after that."
Hydration and rest will also aid recovery.
"Most people will get better on their own," Bullis said.
That's how Milos Savic, assistant hall director of Howick/Williams, dealt with his recent head cold.
"I didn't take any medicine," Savic said. "I just let my immune system do the talking."
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