Flu season is still lingering around the local area and it seems like it may finally slow down — if the right precautions are taken.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health categorizes levels of geographic spread of influenza in Pennsylvania depending on the severity of the outbreak. In order from less severe to more severe, the flu activity codes are sporadic, local, regional and widespread.

Since last week, the flu outbreak in Pennsylvania has been categorized as widespread, meaning outbreaks of the flu are in at least half the regions of the state, and Bradford is no exception.

Pat Cercone, executive director of communications and marketing at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, said the school has seen an increase in the number of flu cases.

“However, it’s not an outbreak here and there is no cause for alarm,” she said. “In fact, the number of flu cases we’ve seen this week on campus has decreased significantly from the previous week.”

Cercone attributes the decreasing number of flu cases to precautionary and reactionary efforts by the nurses and staff members in the health services office of Pitt-Bradford.

To help combat the spread of the flu, additional cleaning was arranged in the common areas on campus, including classrooms and doorknobs. For students that show signs of the flu, Cercone explained that the health staff provides them with medicine targeting the sickness.

“They assess the students’ symptoms to see if they are a candidates for antiviral medicine,” she said.

If a student is a candidate, the health staff contacts a campus physician who may prescribe the antiviral medicine. In the case that a student faces issues attending class, Cercone said health services staff notify the students’ professors so the faculty know their students are missing class because of illness. Afterwards, arrangements are made so that a friend or resident advisor of the student can pick up meals in the dining hall and deliver them to sick students.

“Our staff members also keep tabs on our sick students,” Cercone said. “We call them daily to see how they’re doing and keep track of their progress.”
Over 150 cases of influenza have been reported in McKean County. To help avoid spreading it, the department of health advises that people should take the following precautions:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when sick.

Cover the mouth and nose area when coughing or sneezing.

Clean hands whenever possible.

Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth area.