Frat flu has always been common among university students, and it used to be nothing to worry about. After a weekend of having fun with friends — which tends to mean insufficient sleep and most likely many hours of singing and dancing — it’s normal to feel rundown. However, the symptoms of frat flu are often similar to other viral infections, including the actual flu. It’s important to figure out what exactly has made you sick to take the proper steps for treatment and to protect others around you, particularly the immunocompromised.
What Are the Symptoms of Frat Flu?
All the symptoms of frat flu should be familiar to you, as they’re much the same as those of the common cold and exhaustion. They could include a sore throat, headache, coughing, sneezing, and nausea. In fact, the cause of frat flu tends to be exposure to the cold virus from being around a large number of people.
When It May Be Something Else
You may have noticed that some of the symptoms of frat flu are common to other viruses. However, there are also some differences. For instance, the typical flu virus or COVID-19 can also lead to chills, shortness of breath, body aches, and fatigue. You may also lose your sense of taste or smell.
Plus, the onset of symptoms are likely to be different. You’ll feel the effects of frat flu the day after a party, with symptoms gradually becoming worse. If you caught COVID, you can expect to notice symptoms no sooner than two days after exposure and up to as many as 14 days after.
Nevertheless, since these conditions affect people differently, there’s no way of knowing what you have from your symptoms alone. It’s worth going to your campus health centre just to be sure.
Treatment for Frat Flu
If it turns out that you do have frat flu, there are a few basic remedies you can try. The most important are rest and hydration: stay in bed and drink plenty of water, tea, or even soup (especially with ginger) but avoid caffeine — if you’re low on energy, sleeping is better than coffee. If you have a sore throat, a hot honey and lemon drink could also be soothing. In addition, stick to a healthy diet, as this will bring back your strength and help you fight the cold virus. Stay in your apartment until you feel better to prevent spreading the illness to others.
Although it’s never fun to recover from an illness, it does help to live somewhere you can call home. For UWaterloo off-campus housing, there’s no better choice than myREZ. You’ll have your own room in a five-bedroom suite, with the option of an en suite bathroom. When you’re feeling better, you’ll be able to socialize in places like the games room and get back in shape in the fitness centre or yoga studio. Book a tour to see the apartments and facilities for yourself.