As the winter season enters into full swing, the amount of absences due to illness at school has drastically increased. But as absences are on the rise, many methods of prevention are essential to know about, in order to keep students healthy and in class.

The flu is one of the most common infections found in schools throughout the duration of the winter season. School nurse Andrea Allison said common forms of sharing can lead to higher susceptibility to the flu.

“You can get the flu by sharing food with other people or touching someone else’s hand then touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth,” Allison said. “They are the main portals into your body that germs can get into.”

Just as the flu is easy to get when sharing with another, common prevention methods are equally simple.

“The number one thing you can do to prevent the flu is wash your hands,” Allison said. “When you wash your hands you are constantly washing those germs off, so you’re decreasing the chance of taking those germs into your body.”

To stay even healthier, Allison advises students to always stay hydrated.

“When you drink lots of water you are increasing the number of tears and the amount of mucus your nose and mouth produces. That way it reduces the amount of germs that you have before they get in your bloodstream,” Allison said.

Besides the prevention methods that Allison suggests, other normal methods exist throughout the school to stay healthy. Mathematics teacher Brian Rodkey said he takes further precautions to prevent illness.

“I always try to use my own pens and pencils so when I am working with students we are not exchanging pens or pencils back and forth,” Rodkey said. “I always try to wash my hands before I eat or drink anything, we have the hand sanitizer here in the room and Kleenexes for the kids to use; anything to try and keep germs out of the air and off your hands.”

Mathematics teacher Kristen Chavez said she agrees and hopes that the students who are sick should rest before returning to school.

“The kids are really good about using hand sanitizer, I use hand sanitizer and that is pretty much all I can do,” Chavez said. “I just hope that I don’t get it, and that people stay home if they are running a fever.”