My friend asked the waitress if the cafe had Coca-Cola or Pepsi. The waitress stated they had Coca-Cola. My friend answered, “OK, I will have a Fanta.”
It might sound funny in the beginning, like the idea of swine flu becoming a world epidemic in the 21st century with all our technologies and modern advancements, and it does. It is very funny actually.
But if we were to take a closer look at what my friend meant, we would realize that he was asking if the restaurant offered Coca-Cola or Pepsi products. He, in fact, did not want a Miranda (a competitor to Fanta).
Back to the flu – we need to be careful all the time. I find people at Mississippi State take no or little precaution to ensure their safety.
The computer lab is the number one place where people can catch the flu. People sit on the chair and put their dirty hands on the keyboard where billions and billions of tiny microorganisms are reproducing and prospering. Stop right here.
Before you enter the lab, you will find an antimicrobial-liquid dispensing machine. It’s free. Really, this is one thing the university administration chose not to charge you for. So please people, I urge you to use it upon entering the lab and upon exiting as well. And maybe make the long trip to the machine again if you sneeze.
Hopefully, if we all follow such safety precautions, then none of us should have to worry about being sick. I would recommend paying for someone to stand in front of the door of the computer lab to make sure everyone entering is cleaning his or her hands. But since that is less likely due to budget cuts this year, we as students better take care of ourselves.
Shaking hands, kissing and hugging should no longer be popular means of greeting until we can control the H1N1 outbreak, or get the vaccine for it. Nobel laureates have endorsed the elbow bump. As the name suggests, the elbow bump is when two people tap elbows as a form of greeting. It is very hygienic and very humorous too. Have fun with your friends. Create your own little funky elbow bumps. Just keep your germs away from me.
Don’t shake hands when you just sneezed in them before going through the door. Don’t kiss me when you just blew your nose, and definitely don’t hug me if you have been coughing all day. Be creative and enjoy it. Nobody will call you crazy because everyone realizes the dangers that come with such a possible epidemic. You should go crazy and invent your own greeting. Just remember, the person who invented the chest bump has not checked out of the hospital yet.
I understand we all love free stuff. Who does not? But that does not mean we should try to get the flu because it is free. And it should not mean we should be nonchalant because health insurance will cover full costs of treatment in case any of us get sick.
At the same time, it does not mean we should all stay inside our rooms and hide from the virus, and it definitely does not mean we should not go to classes whenever we sneeze.
I want people to be reasonable. Students, faculty and staff of MSU, open your eyes and brains. Be attentive for the H1N1 flu (or as some still call it, the swine flu). Check the Flu Watch Web site every now and then. Drink lots of orange juice. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits, and don’t try to make yourself vulnerable to diseases. Eat well, sleep well and dress appropriately for weather. Don’t go dancing under the heavy rain and not expect to get sick.
Most importantly, eat lots of honey. Last year, I conducted a research on the antimicrobial properties of honey and proved honey can work as an effective antibiotic when diluted with water.
So take honey. Use honey with your cereal instead of sugar. Although honey works less effectively with viruses (like the flu) than on bacteria, it is effective when diluted with water, so dilute a couple of spoons of honey in water and drink it. It will make you ready to fight off any bacterial or viral infection.
No matter what the World Health Organization, the Flu Watch Web site or I say, people will still not listen and get sick. I am sure we would have tons of stories to post on the My Life is Average Web site once the flu hits State. But thank God, a vaccine has been created to immunize humans against the swine flu. It will be here soon, hopefully. But be careful – it treats the flu, but won’t help if you are a pig.
Abdallah Abu Ghazaleh is a freshman majoring in electrical engineering. He can be contacted at [email protected].