The post RUMPUS sickness has struck again. Every year without fail, and almost comically, students become sick after RUMPUS and we see a seasonal gap of students at school. Once again, the same happened this year, but with a plot twist: Students and teachers became sick both before and after RUMPUS, causing a sparse week. Last week, a number of students were sick with the flu and fever cold, including Charlie Patel and Atlas Kosedag, both day leaders for their dorms. The student body was lacking in numbers compared to previous weeks. Day students and dorm students were both affected by the sickness floating around campus. The health center had more visitors than usual during the week leading up to and the week following RUMPUS. Kosedag and Patel give some tips for staying healthy during this time of sickness.
“I lied in bed a lot, and I tried to do absolutely nothing,” Patel said. “ It was one of the worst experiences ever, I felt super bad and it was definitely the most sick I have been in my life.”
Having one sickness has it’s negatives, but having two at the same time, can be very aggravating. Not only because of the sickness, but the chances of having to miss school and be behind on work as well.
“I had the flu and COVID,” Patel said. “ So, I had to get medication for each respective virus, then I just sat in bed, and let the medicine do it’s job, while I did nothing.”
Everyone is different, and everyone’s bodies react differently to different illnesses, but Kosedag has a family remedy to help him get over illnesses fast and to keep him from missing as much school, if any at all.
“I normally go to my doctor, and get Tami-Flu or whatever I need,” Kosedag said. “But my Aunt has a tea recipe she uses to help our family get well fast.”
Medicines can range in how many ingredients they have, and prescriptions are usually either chemicals, or anti-bodies mixed together to kill the desired virus or bacteria.
“My aunt’s recipe isn’t like other medicines with lots of ingredients, it is very simple,” Kosedag said. “ All it is is green tea, and lots of honey. The honey helps with coughing, while the hot tea helps decongest you.”
This year, there was a pre-RUMPUS flu as well and sometimes symptoms don’t show up until you have had the virus for a while (asymptomatic).
“I got deathly sick the Sunday night before RUMPUS, I was suddenly struck with chills and I had a really bad fever, after I thought about it I was probably sick Friday night,” faculty member Keegan Hinsley said. “I had to wait out the sickness because I was diagnosed with it so late, medicine wouldn’t had made a difference, so I had to miss the entire week.”