Now that a new school year is underway, it is time for the dreaded “Trinity Plague” to make an appearance. The “Trinity Plague” is when the common cold spreads around the whole school and all students seem to get sick.

Symptoms of the common cold are sore throats, runny noses, coughing, sneezing, headaches, and body aches. Almost every person takes about seven to ten days to recover, but sometimes it can turn into bronchitis and/or pneumonia. The average adult gets the common cold at least two to three times per year and children have an even higher average, six to eight colds per year.

The CDC, Center for Disease Control, recommends for people to wash their hands with soap and water and avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose with unwashed hands. Stay at home while sick; avoid close contact with others; move away from people before coughing or sneezing; try to sneeze and/or cough into a tissue or the upper sleeve of a shirt; wash hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose; and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects.

Corie Miller, Senior, stated: “This year’s sickness is worse than last year’s. At least 75% of the student body got sick within two weeks.”

Trinity gets the common cold yearly and it affects students every time. Trying to avoid the cold at Trinity is nearly impossible since more than half the students get sick. The “Trinity Plague” comes every year in September or October and causes a majority of the students to stay home and get well rested.

Miller said, “I have never had the flu, so I end up with a cold and stay sick for a week or two because I rarely take medicine.”

To make sure that the common cold does not spread more than it already has, people need to wash their hands and stay away from sick people!