Flu season always hits right in the middle of the school year, with cases occurring from September to May and more frequently during the winter months. Students who get the flu are more likely to miss classes and exams and other parts of the college experience. Earlier awareness of a flu epidemic on a campus like ours can help each of us to take preventive measures such as washing our hands longer and more often, getting the flu vaccine, and getting extra rest.
We created the OutSmart Flu app so that you can report your flu-like symptoms as they occur, or you can let us know that you are feeling well. This information is compiled to measure flu activity across campus and will be made available to you. Using this strategy, OutSmart Flu aims to detect flu epidemics earlier than current methods and to see if this earlier awareness can help members of our community take action to protect themselves and others from getting sick. Please visit us at www.outsmartflu.org to learn more about the research happening through the OutSmart Flu initiative.