By Jasmyn Chuwku

The start of the academic year has brought thousands of students into the city, bursts of excitement, making new friends…unfortunately with that, the yearly rise in what is referred to as ‘Freshers Flu’ tags along too. 

Although it just sounds like another common cold, it can last longer, even weeks if left overlooked, which is the last thing you want as you kick off your new academic year.

What is Freshers’ Flu? And how to stay healthy at university.

Freshers Flu is not an actual medical term, The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) states that ‘freshers’ flu’ is the common name for a collection of cold viruses that typically spread rapidly when students arrive at university. It is rarely serious, symptoms can consist of a runny nose, sore throat, headaches, and fatigue.

Roughly 91% of students experience at least one upper respiratory tract illness during the early term of the academic year, according to a cohort study published in the Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

But why are students so vulnerable?

Freshers’ week often means late nights, crowded nightclubs, parties, meeting hundreds of new people. Viruses thrive in these environments. There are germs everywhere, many people in one area, particularly when students are living in shared accommodations, packed lecture halls, attending freshers fairs and commuting on public transport. All of these heighten the opportunity for a cocktail of viruses to spread. 

Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist and professor in biomedical sciences at The University of Manchester, referred to it as a “mixing pot” of infections. 

‘You’re bringing people together from all over the world, putting them in close quarters, and exposing them to viruses they’ve never encountered before” she emphasised. 

Stress also plays a major role. Beginning university brings major changes, from moving away from home for the first time, adjusting to academic pressures whilst simultaneously managing finances and making new friends. Stress can affect your sleep and overall wellbeing, busy schedules on top of that gives your body less time to rest and recover, therefore increasing cortisol production which then weakens the immune system.

Sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption is another concern, late night partying with excessive alcohol consumption and early lectures completely disrupts the bodies sleeping patterns. Just alcohol itself leads to a plethora of problems, for example, reducing the number and effectiveness of white blood cells and reducing the number of healthy gut bacteria to support proper immune function etc. 

 On top of everything, most students, especially during the start of university, struggle to maintain a healthy diet. Skipping meals and relying on convenient food rather than maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. 

Eating well is a financial luxury for many as up to 76% cite food costs as their main barrier to a balanced diet. All these factors together weaken the immune system which puts freshers at risk making them vulnerable to illness. 

Freshers flu doesn’t only affect newcomers, Ziyue Xia, a second-year university student says “I got ill my first week of returning. It’s pretty awful because it definitely did affect my studies because I was very poorly and wasn’t able to go into uni so because of that I’ve had to catch up with content which is very annoying”.

Students are being encouraged to take simple steps to reduce their risk. Experts advise getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eating regular balanced meals, maintaining hygiene by regularly washing hands, not sharing drinks, vapes and allowing themselves enough time to rest when feeling unwell. 

Those who are experiencing symptoms should avoid close contact with others. Anyone with severe or prolonging symptoms should seek the appropriate medical advice.  Sakib Mohammed, lead pharmacist and practitioner at Click2Pharmacy said, “So much of the focus before university goes on the exciting stuff, like decorating a room or meeting flatmates, that registering with a GP or finding a pharmacy gets forgotten completely”.

While freshers’ week is about making new friends and memories, students are being reminded that health is priority and looking after themselves is just as important as enjoying university life.