When it comes to COVID-19, there are two types of people in response to the pandemic. There are those who act on the belief that this pandemic is serious, and proper mask and social distancing guidelines should be met, and there are those who believe the virus is exaggerated, and it infringes on personal freedoms if masks are mandated.
This second way of thinking has proven dangerous for many. In Alabama there were actually students who were throwing “Covid Parties.” A Covid party is where a person who has COVID-19 is invited to a party, and people purposely try to catch it. Some place bets, and the first one to get infected wins money. In Texas a man actually died after attending a Covid party in his attempt to prove the virus was a hoax.
Lives are more important than the ego of surviving a Covid party. Even if the virus does not kill a younger person, which it still can, it is very capable of permanently damaging one’s respiratory system. Just because it doesn’t harm one person, that person can still spread it to someone else that is susceptible to suffering greatly from it.
The University of North Carolina had to reverse their plans to have class in person due to 130 students testing positive in just the first week of classes. Even with the school setting safety guidelines and measures, COVID-19 was still able to spread rapidly throughout the school.
Students have to learn that even with safety measures in place, that alone is not enough to make people immune from the virus. Even in our personal lives, we must be safe, wear masks, and social distance anytime we go in public. The best way to be safe at Jones is for nobody to have the virus. This scenario is only possible if we are safe in our personal lives and never have the chance to bring it to campus.
As students, we must come to realize that campuses are not safe havens where we can assume immunity. There are people who ignore all safety guides when off campus, and we could encounter these people at any time. Even with safety guidelines, the virus could possibly infect people. One compromised person can infect an entire group, so it is important we are always aware of our surroundings and actively avoid unnecessary risk.
It takes everybody as a community to accept responsibility to minimize the spread as much as possible. With classes resuming at Jones, it is essential that we all be mindful of the current events and not violate personal spaces, as it could be far more dangerous than it may seem. Wear masks, social distance, and encourage everyone else to do the same. Be safe if returning to face-to-face classes, and remember we are all in this together.
by Corey Blue, Opinions Editor