Students rewarded for taking part in flu study

By Suzanne Johnson, On-Line Forty-Niner

Wednesday, October 28, 1998

The opportunity to earn $100 for being ill may ease the suffering of the afflicted.

An advertisement currently appearing in the Daily Forty-Niner is seeking patients for a cold study that is being conducted to determine the effectiveness of a drug awaiting approval by the Federal Drug Administration.

Compensation of $100 is given to those who complete the study.

Due to confidentiality reasons, the name of the drug and the company manufacturing it could not be released.

According to Anne Arriaga, research coordinator at Dr. Kenneth Kim's office in Long Beach, participants will unknowingly receive either the new medication or a placebo. They must take the medication for seven days.

Participants are required to schedule four visits within a two-week period, Arriaga said.

During the first and fourth visits, participants undergo a basic physical, which includes giving blood and urine samples.

The second and third visits consist of routine doctor examinations.

Participants are required to complete a daily journal in which they answer questions regarding such things as energy level and amount of sneezing, Arriaga said. In addition, they must record their temperature twice a day along with any cold medications they are taking.

Daily phone contact is also required, Arriaga said.

The patient must call to report symptoms experienced the prior day.

The strain of flu the drug seeks to prevent is Picornavirus, Arriaga said.

The flu season runs from the beginning of October through the beginning of December.

According to Joann Depew, administration operations analyst for the Student Health Center, approximately 280 CSULB students have come in for flu shots in the past month.

Common symptoms of the flu are fever, chills, aches, coughing and sneezing.

Recommendations for getting well include drinking plenty of fluids and getting adequate amounts of rest, Depew said.