Cold and flu season is upon us, and – this year – the flu is worse than ever. Illinois is one of 30 states to report high flu activity, and trends are showing that this could be the worst year since 2009’s H1N1 scare. Even though 48 states have “widespread geographic influenza activity,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that flu levels might not have peaked in some areas.

To a high school student, this is terrifying.

As most people know, symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, coughing, headaches, stuffed or runny nose and possible stomach problems. None of these sound particularly pleasant to me, and I especially don’t want to have them in school. School is different than the adult work environment. First, we’re packed into classrooms like sardines, and at least six other kids have their hands all over my desk at some point in the day. This makes a perfect breeding ground for germs, with other possibly sick kids touching doorknobs, drinking fountains and shared computers constantly.