As most of you know, Flu season has arrived. Some of you may already have friends that are sick due to the flu. Surprisingly, the flu can be easily avoided with methods such as hand-washing and covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Grab a tissue and get ready for this article about the flu and how to prevent it.

Some of you are wondering, “What’s the flu exactly?” Well, the flu is an extremely contagious respiratory illness. The flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring.

Sometimes, a person might also get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or possibly their nose according to  http://www.flufacts.com. From observations made at Dobie, 12 out of 20 people wash their hands when using the restroom. 

“I think I will get sick because everyone is getting sick for example my mom and my dad have the flu already and I think my brother is starting to get it I’m bound to get it sick  at some point” said Riley Jackson 8th grader.

According to sharecare.com, it is estimated that between 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and it is estimated that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized on average for flu-related complications each year. “I am not prepared for the flu because I haven’t got my flu shot yet and I’m really scared I’m going to get it,” said Tori Patterson, 8th grader.

There are plenty of ways to prevent the flu and other sicknesses. One way is to drink tea. Drinking the tea and breathing in steam stimulates to move out germs more efficiently. Lemon thins mucus, and honey is antibacterial.

Germs are often spread when a person touches something with germs and then touches his or her face according to https://www.cdc.gov. “Ways I prevent the flu is that I stay inside and I wash my hands and I also drink hot tea,” said Victoria Melendez, 8th grader.

The side effects of the flu include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (very tired)

Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.