With the recent updates by the College on the steady status of swine flu proliferation and prevention at our school, it may seem as if everything is under control and Amherst has avoided the brunt of the health crisis. However, it is the flu season, and many sick people refuse to go to the Health Center; therefore, the number of cases could easily increase in a short time. As the Health Center seeks to distribute the Tamiflu vaccine to high-risk students, it is important for the student body to not only take the disease seriously but also act in a cool and collected manner towards the situation (i.e. don’t freak out if your roommate has it).

We encourage all students who have flu-like symptoms to visit the Health Center. Many students have been avoiding seeking treatment for fear of being quarantined and forced to miss classes. However, this is detrimental to the overall health of the College as it facilitates the spread of the virus. By refusing treatment, students with these symptoms could very easily increase the chances of giving the flu to their fellow classmates. Furthermore, avoiding the Health Center just because of the fear of quarantine could lead to a degeneration of the health of the student with swine flu. The College simply aims to provide a healthy environment for students; taking the simple step of going to the Health Center would greatly aid their efforts to minimize the spread of the virus. Though the College has sometimes been seen as too zealous in its efforts to quarantine at the hint of swine flu, they are acting in the best interests of the students and are trying to contain a very contagious virus, regardless of whether it is the regular flu or swine flu.

One indication that the College is not overreacting to what many view as just another version of the regular flu is in how it treats all students with flu-like systems the same, regardless of whether it is the swine variety or not. The College wants to minimize the spread of swine flu, and unfortunately, the only way to do this is to quarantine students with flu-like symptoms. When weighing whether to go the Health Center or not, think about which is more costly: a week of quarantine or many more weeks of sickness, lost friendships and misery.

We also feel that the stigma of swine flu hinders the efforts to prevent its containment. There seems to be an unreasonable connotation attached to the disease that invokes a hysteria unlike that attached to any other disease. Just because someone is coughing does not mean they have swine flu, and it does not mean that they should be shunned. If the cough persists, we must insist they go to the Health Center, but we must also insist that other students be civil towards those with flu-like symptoms.

If you’re assessed by Health Center as a “high-risk” case, you should make sure to cooperate with its efforts to protect your health. If you’re sick, it doesn’t mean you have swine flu, but if the symptoms are bad enough, a possible quarantine shouldn’t prevent you from seeking medical help. Lastly, for everyone else, as it gets colder, people will inevitably get sick, and it’s important not to overreact but to simply take normal precautions, the way you would when dealing with any other flu season.