Over the past month or so, the Ebola virus has been gaining more and more attention for its fatalities. As many American hospitals are preparing for new Ebola patients, they must also prepare for something a bit more familiar to them—flu season. If the flu continues its rate from previous years, the virus may potentially kill thousands of people these next few months.

As of recent research, one difference between Ebola and the flu virus is that the flu is completely airborne. This would include the disease being transmitted through coughing and sneezing. On the other hand, Ebola cannot travel through the air—only through bodily fluids such as vomit and blood.

The flu spreads much quicker than Ebola because it travels in the air. That is why the number of people infected with the flu is much greater than Ebola. Although some can die from the flu, there are drugs that can be prescribed to fight off the disease, unlike Ebola. There is no cure for Ebola that has been found yet.

Even though the two diseases infect people in different ways, they both have the same purpose of action: to find new hosts and replicate.

Since the flu season is right around the corner, the school nurse has given the students a few tips to stay healthy and avoid disease. Some include:

1. Washing your hands
2. Avoiding touching your face
3. Never eat without having clean hands
4. Getting plenty of rest
5. Exercise
6. Hydration
7. Having a well-balanced diet
8. Staying home from school when you’re sick
9. Covering coughs and sneezes