How to avoid getting sick on campus

By Veronica Richard and Milani Wetjin •

With the onset of the fall semester and the hundreds of students gathering on campus, germs are running rampant. Sharks can practice healthy habits to avoid getting sick.

Staying healthy does not have to be time-consuming or expensive. Completing small tasks can make a huge difference in preventing sickness.

“Honestly, it may seem super simple, but it’s keeping hands washed constantly – underneath the nails, as a lot of bacteria hangs out there,” said Dr. Sandi Scott-Holman, at the NSU Student Medical Center.

Genesis Grullon, senior biology major, has a few healthy habits of her own.

“I’m more conscious about spreading my own bacteria,” Grullon said. “I always use hand sanitizer. I wash my hands often. I also don’t lay in bed with the clothes I wore outside.”

Keeping a balanced diet is also important for staying healthy.

NSU has introduced new, healthier dining options on campus, like Qdoba and Sambazon, that can help students branch out from the usual fast-food dining options.

“When I first got here, I definitely got sick having some of the food around here,” said Yabsera Negussie, freshman neuroscience major. “I would say the healthier options like the Açaí and Qdoba definitely make me feel better.”

Scott-Holman had more tips:

“Try to avoid group scenarios, which is the hardest. Everyone’s moved onto campus, everybody wants to meet everybody, but it’s a small area and a lot of respiratory particles are being spread. Keep distance, [wear] masks, because right now we are seeing quite a few sick students,” Scott-Holman said.

If students do feel unwell, NSU has on-campus clinics available for all students and faculty.

Appointments are available daily at the main Student Medical Center, located in the Sanford L. Ziff Health Care Center.

On Wednesdays, a satellite Student Medical Center is open for students in the Commons Residence Hall from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with a 1-2 p.m. lunch break.

To make an appointment at any NSU healthcare facility, students can call 954-262-1262.

If students are feeling too unwell for class, they should notify the professor and submit their absence as excused to the Office for Disability Services by emailing the absence with proof of illness (this could be a doctor’s note) to disabilityservices@nova.edu.