Ah, Fortnite. Who doesn’t know about the free, addictive, hair-pulling online multiplayer game? The immersive shooting game might seem very childish and uninformative at face value, but it does teach us an important skill we need to learn this fall: the Dab.
In the spirit of cultural appropriation, Fortnite took this hip-hop-originating dance move and priced it for profit on the game. Feelings aside, millions of people online are now aware of this dance--and it’s exciting because dabbing is actually the BEST way to sneeze.
How can dabbing help us prevent illness?
Last flu season was one of the worst, as 30,453 cases of influenza were reported, according to the CDC. As of October 2018, 185 children died from either influenza or pneumonia. Having the flu is NO fun. With the flu you get fevers, you sneeze, you puke, you miss class and you fail tests. And because flu season always starts in fall and winter, you can fail pretty important tests, like final exams.
Regardless of your stance on vaccines, the CDC still recommends the flu shot as being the number one best way to prevent the flu virus from infecting you. The CDC also says that getting the flu from the flu shot is a myth.
Yet, some people still don’t get the flu shot. According to NPR.org, the U.S. vaccination rate is only 47 percent annually. News flash to all students that want to work in the healthcare field, you’re gonna need to get your flu shots.
But since we’re all college students and the probability of us actually practicing what we preach is slim to none, the least we can do is learn how to sneeze. Dabbing is the best way to do that.
The flu is a communicable disease, meaning it can be spread through a sneeze. And although germs will always spread no matter how much you cover your mouth, the more protection you give, the less likely you are to spread the flu virus.
How to Dab
Here’s what you need:
--an arm
Instructions:
1. You know when your nose cringes up and your mouth starts opening and you feel a huge whirlwind of pressure bubbling up behind your face and your eyes start watering? Acknowledge that moment.
2. Immediately lift your arm up and bend it like you’re imitating a chicken flapping its wings. But instead of flapping it back down, raise it to at least shoulder level.
3. Bury your mouth and nose into the bend of your elbow and sneeze.
4. Raise your other arm out on the same level and have it point towards whatever side of the body it’s on. So if you dabbed with your right hand, raise your left arm up and out to the left at the same time.
On campus, you’ll see a lot of biology majors. You’ll see a lot of chemistry and biomechanical engineers staying up until 4 a.m. to study for a test. But you won’t see too many people cover their mouth when they sneeze, and that’s disappointing.
If we don’t learn anything from Fortnite, can we at least learn how to dab? In the end, it will protect your peers from getting sick this fall.
The Heartdrive: How Fortnite can save us this fall
