Flu season in Wisconsin has reached its peak much later in the season than previous years, and students should expect the flu to be prevalent on campus through the end of the semester.

State health officials reported a stronger strain of flu continues to dominate, but University Health Services’ Dr. William Kinsey said the symptoms of H3N2 are most severe for people under the age of 5 or over 60 — in this case, students aren’t as at risk, Kinsey said.

According to Wisconsin Public Radio, a second child in Wisconsin has died from the flu.

UHS collaborates with Dane County Public Health, the state Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor flu activity each influenza season, Kinsey said.

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“This year has actually been a relatively mild flu season in terms of the total number of cases,” Kinsey said. “What’s been a little bit different is we didn’t get our highest peak activity until about two weeks ago, which is very late.”

Because of this, students should expect a possibility of a flu case until the end of the semester, Kinsey said.

In the U.S., the number of patients with flu-like symptoms has dropped, but flu activity is still widespread in many states, according to the CDC.

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Despite the fact that flu activity on campus will be limited, Kinsey added that students should get vaccinated and practice good hand hygiene.

Some students may experience more severe symptoms if they get the flu because of certain medications they are taking, Kinsey said. In that case, those students should contact UHS.