FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)-- After only being back in school for a little over a month, the University of Arkansas reported that they have had more confirmed cases of the flu in that time than they did in all of 2016.
Zac Brown, the assistant director of communications for the Pat Walker Health Center, said so far they had 285 confirmed cases compared to last year's 230.
Brown said they have already had over 60 cases since Monday.
He hoped they had hit their peak but said they could not really know for sure due to the illness' unpredictable nature.
"So everybody asks when is it going to hit, why is it hitting more this year and the answer is we don’t know," Brown said. "The flu is such an unpredictable illness that we don’t really understand why it hits earlier than some years and why it doesn’t hit at all in some years.”
He explained the school is working to inform students on what to do to make sure the flu does not spread.
To do this, they have signs in every building and they even have stations in some with hand sanitizer and masks.
Some students said they are already implementing those tactics when around their sick classmates.
“I usually just like wash my hands and make sure that whenever I’m touching something I go back and wash my hands thoroughly,” said U of A student Jada Summons.
Others explained they have seen sick students in class and do their best to steer clear.
“I’m kinda like uh are they sick and I just try to not sit by them cause I don’t want to listen to them cough or get what they have," U of A student Nijaiha Jackson said.
Brown said the best thing students can do is to keep their hands washed and to not go to class when sick.
Along with this information, he said they also have set up flu shot stations for students who may not have received on yet.