Worst flu season in years strikes campus

A terrible flu season has hit the Woodstock community.

Since the start of the semester, the health center has been flooded with patients with flu-like symptoms⁠—including cough, cold, fever, and sore throat.

The first week of school, however, was when the flu was most prevalent.

Mrs. Alice Singh, a nurse at the health center, said, “Almost seventy percent of the school had the same infection.”

The flu at Woodstock, which is likely caused by weather changes, is no surprise to returning students and staff, but the severity of the illness is something that has been unseen in previous years.

Mr. Kuldeep Bhandari, the administrative assistant at the Health Center, said, “The first week of school, we received at least twenty students a day.”

According to Mrs. Singh, the pervasiveness of the flu was likely amplified by the carelessness of students infected with the illness.

Based on the standard procedure in the health center, the nurses are supposed to distribute masks to anyone who comes in with the flu. However, the nurses noticed that many students carrying the flu were not wearing masks, which is why the illness spread so rapidly.

Vinayak Panday, Class of 2020, said, “I got sick because my friend didn’t wear a mask.”

The flu season was also devastating for teachers, who saw students struggling with their assignments because they were sick.

Mr. Scott Britton, Upper Years Chemistry teacher, said, “Some of my students who were sick weren’t caught up on their assignments and had difficulty in class.”

While the illness in the community is prevalent, it also extends to all of Mussoorie.

“Doctor Thomas told me that he received several patients in Landour Community Hospital and that they might be at the hospital for the flu,” Mr. Britton said. 

Mr. Britton also believes that one key to fighting the illness might be free flu shots, something that was necessary at his previous school.  

The flu, at the start of every semester, seems like an illness impossible to prevent in the community. However, Mrs. Dechen Wangmo, one of the school nurses, believes that the cycle of the illness can end if students boost their immunity by practicing some good health habits.

“By having a well-balanced diet and a sufficient amount of sleep, students can better prepare themselves for illnesses because these habits can boost your immunity,” Ms. Wangmo said.

Edited by Archita Aggarwal

Featured image by Ryan Bajaj