STATESBORO — Although the coronavirus is a hot topic right now, this season’s flu virus has proven itself to be a much larger threat.

Symptoms of the coronavirus are similar to those associated with the flu, but the flu is still presenting a much higher risk for Georgia Southern students.

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China. There have been thousands of cases confirmed in China, but there have been no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Georgia. There have only been 12 confirmed cases in the U.S. as of Feb. 10, according to the CDC.

The flu season begins in October of each year and runs through the following September. Flu activity in the U.S. typically peaks between December and February, according to the CDC.

“So far this season, from Oct. 1, 2019 through Feb. 1, our numbers of flu cases are up compared to the previous flu season,” Dr. Brian DeLoach, medical director for GS Health Services, said.

To reduce the risk of catching the flu, DeLoach recommends that students get the flu vaccine every year, frequently wash their hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and cover their coughs and sneezes.

Students should stay away from others if they do catch the flu, to reduce the risk of spreading it to others.

Other ways to reduce the risk of getting sick include exercising regularly, getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, eating a healthy and well-balanced diet and avoiding alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

Flu vaccines are still available at Health Services for GS students who have not yet received one this flu season.

Abby Fuller, The George-Anne News Reporter, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu