Every year, flu season lasts for several months starting in October and usually does not start to decrease in cases until February. On an individual level, a person can try to reduce their chances of getting the flu by getting the flu vaccine, washing their hands often, not rubbing their eyes or touching their face too much, and other prevention methods. 

The flu is an annual concern, especially with 61,000 Americans dying during the 2017-2018 flu season. Madison City Schools desired to keep our school district as safe and clean as possible, so last year they bought two sprayers with an ionizing cleaning solution. For a little under $3,000, they have sprayed all 12 of their buildings and have reported great success.

Mrs. Bonnie Davis, the lead nurse of Madison City, said on WHNT that “wiping down desks is great and wiping down door handles… This (the spray) lasts longer.” This would be especially convenient for our schools, with as many students as we have, and how easily an outbreak can spread. She also stated,”When the kids came back from Christmas, we haven’t had any cases (flu) that we know of. So we thought we’d go ahead and be proactive and put it out there now.”

Our nurse at BJHS, Mrs. Sheila Kasulka, shared that her supervisor used the spray to clean our school. She stated,“This is being done in all Madison City Schools.  And it was done at BJHS per my supervisor. It was a one-time treatment. Hopefully, this will decrease the severity of the flu this year.”

With both our school and the rest of the schools in Madison City working on preventing the flu, hopefully the number of cases do go down, and our teachers and students alike will be healthier than in years past.