It’s that infamous time of year again when winter days spent indoors put everyone at risk of getting sick.  Flu season is especially bad this year with record breaking numbers; even those who got the flu vaccine are falling ill.

The flu can be deadly in extreme cases, but more often than not flu victims are only inconvenienced by the illness for a matter of days before recovering.  Regardless of the duration of the sickness, victims are often completely debilitated while sick.

“I had the flu for about a week at the end of second quarter.  It was really stressful because I had to miss a lot of school and make up a bunch of assignments but I didn’t feel up to doing the work because I was so sick,” senior Mia Barringer said.

Due to McLean High School’s competitive academic environment, many students have anxieties about missing schoolwork and falling behind as a result of being ill.  Thankfully, students have had positive experiences with teachers concerning making up work.

“I missed a few days of school this week because of the flu, but my teachers were all pretty understanding when I talked to them.  I think they’re used to a lot of kids being sick this time of year,” senior Quinlen Brown said.

Regardless of accommodating teachers, flu symptoms such as nausea, fatigue, muscle aches, fever, and congestion can make it difficult to complete assignments. 

For those who have avoided the flu so far, doctors are still suggesting that its not too late to get a flu shot and reduce the chance of getting sick, despite its inconsistent success rate.  But for those unlucky flu victims, the only thing to do is stick it out and wait.

“Although it’s stressful to miss a ton of school, it’s better to take that time and recover than to come back too soon and get everyone else sick,” Barringer said.  “It’s just not worth it for you or everyone else!”