By Peace Times staff
Three years ago today you were probably locked down in your house, watching documentaries about a guy from Ohio with tigers. Most likely you were nervous, and scared of what the future of this country might hold. That’s what it was like living through COVID-19, a virus some thought that was the mark of the end times.
Fast forward three years, lockdown seems like a distant memory and Tiger King is in jail. This disease that had such a stranglehold on society has almost disappeared.
Almost.
In the past three months COVID numbers have been on the rise, but nobody seems to give a hoot.
As of early October, there are only two active cases on campus, but since school has started there have been 33 overall, according to Gattone.
Jill Gattone, head nurse for the Wellness Center at Joyner House on campus attributed the new cases of COVID-19 to the beginning of the semester festivities.
“As expected when everybody came back to campus and we had all our welcome week activities and everybody was together, we did see a spike in COVID-19 cases,” said Gattone.
According to the North Carolina Respiratory Virus Dashboard, between late July and early August, Wake County placed COVID-19 cases at 239 patients who were admitted to the hospital the week of July 29. The numbers jumped to 484 patients who were admitted with COVID-19 the week of Aug. 26.
The university’s first day back to school was Aug. 25. and right before the start of the fall semester William Peace University hosted back-to-school activities for almost a week.
Jack Lancaster, a sophomore majoring in political science, tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 29.
“It’s made me play some catch-up and I’ve been a little bit behind”. Due to the mandatory quarantine, Lancaster missed two tests and a group activity that he couldn’t make up.
The spike in COVID cases is nothing to stress over. People should stay cautious, as with most illnesses but COVID is not what it used to be.
The university still encourages the student body to wash their hands frequently and wear a mask if they deem it necessary. Gattone said, “We’ve just asked students that aren’t feeling well they come to see us right away”.
The Wellness Center has put masks and hand sanitizer to further prevent the spread of the virus. There are flyers around campus instructing students and staff on the proper hand-washing procedures.
Having uncertainty about the future can be stressful. Continuously missing classes is something that cannot be avoided if students are not feeling up-to-par. As a general rule of thumb, exercising caution around people who may be ill might be better to avoid spreading sickness.
If you don’t feel well, make sure to prioritize your health by staying at home and making sure to adhere to all of the best hygiene practices like washing your hands. Your health comes before everything else.
Contributors: Caleb Clendenning, Melissa Evers, Jakob Galluzzo, Elizabeth Condall and Alyssa Moore