Matthew Steinbach
opinions@theotherpress.ca

  

Every day can be your birthday! 5, sisii:scs.

Te leaves are changing color and falling to the ground; the air smells of mist
and you can see your breath as you leave the house way to early in the morning;
you see old friends and new as you hit the campus doors, and for many of us, one
of these old friends is good ol’ “Mr. Cough and Cold.”

I have spent most of the past three weeks with Mr. Cough. This coughing is
very uncomfortable for me and very annoying for those in my general vicinity
(co-workers and teachers, other students etc.). I have found out that I am not
contagious, but this cough did bring back a memory from last January I would like
to share.

I was walking towards Vancouver General Hospital (I go there on Fridays to
give bedridden people some much-needed TLC), when I ran into a nurse who told
me I should be wearing socks as I could catch a cold being outside in runners and
Capri pants (yes, I know, yuck, but that’s beside the point). I smiled and nodded
and walked away, wondering how she could spread such silliness to the world...I
mean, how many people in general, let alone health care professionals, believe that
old wives’ tales anymore?

When people walk by in fear of me as if I have a plague, I wonder how many
people really know what a cold or flu really is, the difference between the two and
how to try to avoid getting sick?

Why are people sick during fall? Late fall and early winter are considered flu
season, not directly because of the cold weather, but because these are times of year
that people generally spend more time indoors and around other people. Yes, it is
the contact with other people inside that gives you a greater chance of getting sick.

So the next big question is how do you avoid a flu or a cold?

If you want to avoid the flu then avoiding crowds and frequent hand washing
will help to reduce the risk of getting the flu. Getting a flu shot can also help for
those who are willing and able.

Colds are caused by a virus and cannot be helped by antibiotics and the wide
variety of viruses that cause a cold are the reason there are no “cold shots” during
the peak season. There are Molson Canadian Cold Shots, but that is beer, people,
not medicine (although some may think otherwise)!

You ask: “What can people do to prevent a cold?”

My answer: “WASH YOUR HANDS!”

Frequent hand washing is the best defense against cold viruses. Avoiding
crowds and limiting contact with people who are coughing or sneezing also helps.
So although I am not contagious as I do not have a cold, you are doing what is best
for you when you avoid me as you all have been doing so well.

About this hand washing I speak of... I see so many people walk out of the
stall in the ladies room, wet their hands with water and walk away. It takes every
ounce of my being not to go running after them with hand sanitizer yelling, “Not
only can you help prevent forest fires, but you can also help prevent the spread
of influenza! Use your powers wisely!” Wash with soap and water for 30 seconds
(between your fingers and the tops and bottoms of your hands) or for the duration
of the good ol’ Happy Birthday song if you wish (sing it out loud or in your head!).
Every day can be your birthday!

 

 

 

O.. of the most interesting questions that we have never answered definitively
is: Can women and men really be friends? Sadly, I’m inclined to think not so
much.

The debate continues. In a very informal and unscientific manner, I surveyed
some friends and classmates to mull over the question. I seem to have acquired
two answers (not surprising): Those of the ‘yes’ camp seem to be (1) quite

 

Ranting, Raving, and Relating
Can we be friends? I really don’t think SO 5, css

 

 

 

young, and as a result, very hopeful and not so disillusioned with relationships in

general, and (2) men. And—you guessed it—the resounding ‘no’ comes from the
majority of the women I talked to.

At various times in my life, I, too, thought that males and females
could undoubtedly keep things platonic and actually maintain a meaningful
relationship. What I’ve noticed is that male-female camaraderie seems to have
a Shelf life that is directly proportional to the amount of sexual chemistry (or

 

 

8

Continued pg9