Health Update: USF’s Student Health and Wellness Center sees more visits this flu season – What Experts Say

As the semester ramps up toward midterms and spring break, many students are finding themselves stuck in bed rather than in class. 

Peak influenza season runs from December through February in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Influenza positivity rates in Florida have been increasing since the beginning of February, with reports showing an outbreak in Hillsborough County, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Joseph Puccio, the executive and medical director of the Student Health and Wellness Center, said student visits have been approximately 5% higher this spring than the same time last year.

“Since the start of the spring 2026 semester, the most common diagnoses seen at Student Health have been respiratory in nature,” Puccio said.

These respiratory illnesses include COVID-19, influenza and sinusitis, Puccio said.

For many Bulls, the recovery from these illnesses has also been longer than in previous years — something Puccio attributes to back-to-back illnesses rather than harsher symptoms.

“Many are encountering multiple infections sequentially,” Puccio said. “It is not uncommon for a student to be diagnosed with COVID-19 and then, two to three weeks later, be diagnosed with influenza A.”

Related: USF reopens on-campus primary care clinic for faculty and staff 

Despite the record-breaking cold temperatures that swept through Tampa earlier this month, Puccio clarified that the weather isn’t directly weakening immune systems.

Instead, cold temperatures force students inside, where infections can spread more easily due to close contact with others in less-ventilated spaces, Puccio said.

Puccio said students should seek medical care at the first sign of illness, as early treatment can significantly shorten the duration of the virus.

“Early evaluation can allow timely treatment, and in many cases, prescribed medications may help shorten the course of the illness and support a quicker return to classes,” Puccio said.

Puccio said students can best protect themselves by:

• Preparing ahead and receiving annual COVID-19 and flu vaccines in the fall
• Getting adequate sleep
• Drinking enough water
• Practicing proper hygiene, such as handwashing and coughing into your elbow instead of your hands
• Avoiding close contact with others while ill

Related: USF graduate assistants share financial struggles as union seeks higher pay 

For Ellie Sandifer, a freshman biomedical sciences major, the “sequential” nature of this flu season became a reality for her on Feb. 10. 

An itchy throat quickly spiraled into a 102-degree fever and ended with congestion over six days, Sandifer said.

“The first day was the chills, muscle aches and excessive sweating,” Sandifer said. “The next two days, I was very tired, and I had a migraine.”

Despite her symptoms, Sandifer said she never looked for an official diagnosis because she wanted to prioritize rest. 

“[I] never made it to the doctor,” Sandifer said. “I am assuming it is the flu due to the presence of fever, as well as lacking coughing or sore throat at the beginning.”

Sandifer lives in Juniper-Poplar Hall and said that the most difficult part of being sick in her dorm was having to fend for herself.

“[I had to] force myself to take medicine and not really leave my dorm so I don’t get other people sick,” Sandifer said. 

Sandifer said it was also difficult to manage a high fever while balancing student responsibilities.

“The worst experience was still having to do homework whilst sick in order to still be making my due dates,” Sandifer said.  “I do feel behind in anatomy and physiology, since I couldn’t sit down and force myself to take notes while being sick.”

Still, Sandifer said she believes she did a good job of containing the illness.

“No one that I know of caught it or got sick from me,” Sandifer said.

Related: USF students, faculty oppose eliminating vaccine requirements in college 

Avery Walker, a freshman integrated public relations and advertising major, said her symptoms rapidly escalated after she caught a sore throat on Jan. 20.

“I couldn’t stop coughing, I had a 101.3-degree fever and was extremely fatigued,” Walker said. “I hate feeling fatigued and stuck in bed. I had homework that I needed to complete, but simply couldn’t due to how awful I felt.”

Walker said she chose to rest rather than go to the doctor, so the nature of her illness was never confirmed.

Walker said she lives in a suite-style dorm in Juniper-Poplar Hall and found it difficult to balance her own recovery with others’ safety.

“It is a bit harder to recover in a dorm because I tried not to get my roommate sick as well,” Walker said. 

Still, Walker said she got sick “at the perfect time” because while she was sick for six days, her symptoms peaked between Thursday and Sunday — allowing her to avoid missing classes.

“My body needed to catch up on rest, which meant I could not be productive like I usually am,” Walker said. “[However,] I managed to finish all of my assignments that were due without much trouble or consequences.”

Students who feel ill can schedule an appointment with the Student Health and Wellness Center by calling 813-974-2331 or visiting the facility at 12530 USF Bull Run Drive.