MAHWAH, NJ – Ramapo has a small campus which is good and bad. A smaller campus means shorter walks and more chances of running into friends. But a smaller space during this time of year also means more chances to get sick. Most students prefer to vomit from tequila rather than influenza.
Ariel Crewes, assistant at the Student Flu Clinic, has five not-so-obvious tips for staying healthy. Keep these things in mind and maybe you can avoid getting sick this Winter.
1. Don’t lick most things.
Germs like to live on things like pens, doorknobs, and the floor of G-Wing. Try to refrain from licking stuff until the end of flu season.
2. Cough/Sneeze into your elbow or other people’s faces, not your hands you germy-handed goof.
Every cough or sneeze spews millions of bacteria. Put that bacteria into your arm or friend’s face rather than your hands. You don’t want to get your keyboard even dirtier than it is. I mean, have you really looked it at lately?
3. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers work better against sore throats when applied directly to your uvula.
Cotton swabs make this easier to do. If you still have a gag reflex, do this in the morning before having breakfast to minimize clean up.
4. Avoid touching things with your hands. Learn to use your feet and elbows instead.
Don’t worry, it really does doesn’t look as silly as it sounds.
5. If you need to open-mouth kiss your boyfriend/girlfriend/professor in the short-term, large condoms fit over most tongues.
Fun fact: Flavored condoms are only flavored on the one side.
You can email Ariel at fluclinic@ramapo.edu for a list of lickable objects on campus that are germ-free.
