By Eleanor Swaim

Staff Writer

    In years past, the flu was not something often worried about. Beginning in 2020, COVID-19 took center stage, shifting our attention away from the flu. This year, however, it has made a huge comeback. 

    Since October, the United States has had at least 37 million infections, resulting in over 480,000 hospitalizations. Typically, by March, the flu season dies down, but this year, that is not the case. While many might not take notice of this statistic, a hugely affected area is closer than we think—it’s right here at R.J. Reynolds High School. 

    This year, students at Reynolds have been significantly affected by this flu surge. As we know, winter is when illnesses thrive. One of the major contributors to that is the time we spend at school. When someone has a virus, they typically aren’t aware that they have it when they are at their peak contagious point. This plays a huge factor in how quickly this virus has spread throughout our school. 

     In an article written by Yale Medicine, the author explains the younger population’s role in the 2026 flu season. 

    “While the flu affects all ages, this season’s surge is primarily driven by children,” author Carrie Macmillan said. “According to CDC data, the highest incidence of infection is currently among children ages zero to four, and school-aged children and teenagers.”

    Catching the flu is common. A sore throat, headache, and mild fever are all typical symptoms of this virus. Sometimes, the flu can be so mild that we don’t even know we have it, and mistake it for a common cold. However, this season has been hard to ignore. 

      With fevers ranging from 99 to 103 degrees, and headaches going from mild to unbearable, this variation of the flu is no joke. The fact that there is more than one type complicates things for the scientists who created the 2025-2026 Flu Vaccine. The vaccination was created before the discovery of a new, harsh variant called Subclade K. This new variant is a highly contagious virus, associated with high fevers and severe fatigue. 

     Getting out of bed feeling like that just isn’t in question. As for Reynolds students, this can add up to a week of absences, which significantly gets in the way of student academics and sports. The time students have to take off school when they catch the virus has a lasting impact on their grades for the year, especially because flu season is during a very important time of the school year. 

     As for spring athletes, in years past, the flu has had little impact on their athletics, considering that it’s usually gone by spring. However, this year, many spring sports tryouts took place during the time the flu was at its peak. 

    Girls’ soccer tryouts took place the week of February 16. This resulted in many players not being able to make it to the tryouts or not feeling their best during them, setting them back. 

     Some students have to endure the weight of both school and sports. One of those students is Catherine Wenker, a sophomore on the varsity girls’ soccer team.     

    “When I had the flu, I just kind of sat in bed all day, slept, and rested,” Wenker said. “I definitely was getting behind in school and sports, and it was a struggle to get caught up. But I’m still making sure I’m caught up on all my work. It’s very stressful coming back, because missing school is definitely not ideal, and we had a lot of tests during the time I was gone. Honestly, the worst part was probably coming back and finding all the missing work that I’ve missed. It’s pretty daunting.”

     Apart from the flu, another prevalent surge of a virus is the return of Measles. According to the North Carolina Division of Public Health, from 2003 through 2024, North Carolina had 34 Measles cases. In 2026, according to the CDC, there have been 1,362 confirmed cases (as of March 13th). 

   The increase in Measles cases is due to a decline in vaccination rates in North Carolina. Disruptions in routine immunizations during the COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of misinformation have left many children unprotected against this highly contagious, airborne virus.

    Considering this, getting sick is surely something to avoid. However, because students have to be at school most days, it’s nearly impossible to dodge. There are habits we can focus on, like washing our hands mindfully and staying up to date on vaccines, which can lower the chances of catching a virus. 

    There are also things we can do to strengthen our immune system from the inside out. Eating healthy and drinking a sufficient amount of water are the best ways to do this. According to the CDC, we should be drinking about 3 liters of water per day to keep our bodies prepared to fight off germs. 

    Winter 2026 was a rough one for the flu. As snow melts and flowers begin to bloom, people will find themselves worrying less about getting sick. However, healthy habits are important to maintain throughout the whole year, so that, come next fall, we are prepared to fight off those flu-causing germs. This is especially important if there is another new variant, as there was this year. While getting sick isn’t fun, it happens to us all. This flu season, it was more common than it should have been.