We’re All Sick of COVID, But It’s Not Sick of Us!
BY ANGELICA BAUTISTA — Staff Writer
“ Don’t even get me started on COVID! They won’t stop talking about it! I’ve been coughing because of my allergies, and my friends keep saying it’s COVID!”- Anonymous LHS Student
I think all of us can relate to this situation in some way. COVID is a serious virus, and we all know the effects it has on many people. It’s been about two years since it first started, but we’re all pretty tired of it. You remember having to wear all the masks, missing your favorite sporting events, isolating yourself from others, and missing many of your family members? It’s still very serious! Its symptoms are often easily confused with other common sicknesses like the flu or a cold. This could be related to the fact that there are many variants and often these variants have cold or flu like symptoms.
According to the CDC some COVID symptoms are:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
As you can see, some symptoms that are common in a cold are also common in COVID, including: headaches, fatigues, coughing, a congestion or runny nose, and a sore throat. Be sure to keep an eye out and to not easily dismiss these symptoms. Even if you think you just might have a cold, make sure to get properly diagnosed by a professional.
According to the CDC, you’re more contagious one to two days before the onset of symptoms and two to three days after. It’s recommended, if tested positive, to stay in for an average of five days in total. If everything is resolved and you show no signs of symptoms, continue to wear a mask when in contact with others for 5 days. If a fever arises, then stay in until it’s resolved.
Now that you’ve been updated on new guidelines, here’s some information on where our city stands in this conflict.
Our very OWN Good Samaritan Hospital, as of December 12th, has had a surge in cases. According to the WellSpan website, just in the past 30 days COVID cases have risen from a 25 to 40 percent. There was an average of 220 deaths confirmed from positive COVID cases.
Keep track of current Good Samaritan numbers here.
This just shows that although we’re sick of COVID, it’s definitely not sick of us! So go out and wear your masks, socially distance, stay home if you’re not feeling well, get tested, and wash your hands frequently.
