Resurgence of COVID/General sickness on Campus

By: Lauren Kim, Max Mantel, Emi Levine, and Andrew Yuan

In recent weeks, the Academy has experienced an increase in cases of COVID-19, norovirus, the flu, and seasonal allergies. A variety of factors may have contributed to the rise in cases, including the return from break and Experience Exeter. Because of these increasing numbers, the Academy reinstituted numerous policies such as mandatory masking and mandatory testing. 

Assistant principal Karen Lassey explained that the rise in COVID cases “was not really a spike…it was more that we were seeing some increase in transmission on campus. We could see student-to-student transmission in what we would call second generation spread. We were seeing that in ways that we hadn’t been able to identify before.”

Lassey also described the administration’s approach to addressing the situation: “We’re doing the best we can to gather as much information and input as we can, and to also make decisions quickly and responsively to the information we have. We’re trying to balance how we can make decisions quickly and responsibly knowing that we have limited information sometimes, especially when we weren’t screening students for COVID as often as we are now.”

Some students commended the effectiveness of the Academy’s quarantining system. “All the people I knew in there went through stages of being symptomatic but by the time we were released, we were fine. We got in at the start of the small COVID outbreak, so we got to stay in the health center before being moved to the QU for a night where there were many other kids but I definitely preferred the health center,” upper Stellan Aalto said.

Many students found that the health center facilitated their experience with their illness well. Patients received snacks and regular checkups from the staff, and some were allowed to go outside for periods of time or order food. Senior Jacob David said, “I can’t say my stay at the health center was a good experience just because of the nature of my quarantine, but I will say that the health center staff members made it a lot better than it could have been.”

Although senior Chieko Imamura found her stay at the health center similarly pleasant, she expressed her frustration with the process. “I know that currently, with all the viruses on top of COVID, and just in general, everywhere on campus seems to be understaffed. And it just feels kind of rude or like it’s not my place to complain about the waiting, but every time I went to the health center, which ended up being from very real sicknesses, I had to wait at least two hours,” Imamura said. 

“I remember I was in the waiting room next to my friend who ended up having COVID, and that was the first time I went in for the stomach bug and I tested negative for COVID, but it’s hard not to think that I didn’t get COVID from being in the health center for so long without getting checked, you know? And I’m not really sure what the solution is because obviously the nurse’s number one priority is taking care of the people who are already sick but yeah, that was a bit frustrating,” Imamura added. 

Some students also raised questions about the procedure for testing students. “I think that the testing procedure is a little weird because there were several people I knew who I wasn’t necessarily close contacts with, but I know had been in contact with people who had COVID, but they couldn’t get tested unless they were actively showing symptoms, which was a bit concerning,” senior Will Park said. “I think part of that also has to do with the fact that the health center has been really overloaded recently, so they can only afford to give COVID tests to people who are actively showing symptoms, but it was a little weird to hear about.”

Imamura expressed similar concerns with the logistics of the quarantine and testing process. “I was really confused about who was staying 

where and why. I don’t know who’s staying in the QU, I don’t know who’s staying in the health center. In terms of who gets released and how people are released, I was allowed to come back to campus when Dr. Lilly called me and said, ‘Are you having any symptoms?’ And when I said no, she was like, ‘Okay, you’re free to come back,’ but other people had to take a rapid test and had to test negative, so I’m just a little confused at the whole system,” she added.

Other students noted the inconsistency in the Academy’s safety protocols over time. “Sometimes, [the administration] seems very proactive, almost too proactive. We even had direct entrances—you had to enter through one door and leave through another door way later than we should have,” David said. “But then at other times, like earlier this winter, we were completely in quarantine for the first few weeks. Then within the span of a week, the administration went completely hands-off and we were back in person within a short time span. I know that people want things to be back to normal, but maybe just try a gradual approach.”

“I feel like the school has done a relatively good job with handling all the cases… But then also I feel like when we got back to campus at the beginning of this term, there were no quarantine or zoom classes; we jumped straight into everything,” upper Weiyi Huang agreed. “As of right now, it’s a nice balance between being really strict and being able to open up and jump back into normal life. I feel like as cases do go down, it would be nice to go back to no masks anywhere.”

“It’s a hard balance for the administration to strike between safety and having enough freedom that Exeter is a pleasurable experience to live in, but I think it’s the best we can do right now. And I think that the student body is also at a place where we’re understanding of that enough, so even though we might grumble about all the policies, we can still understand why they’re being put in place,” Park added.

Some students offered their input on how the Academy can improve its response to the spike in illnesses. “More information would be nice,” Imamura said. “Also, finding ways to make attending class easier, or at least having a better policy in place for catching up on schoolwork…I wish there was more standard protocol on what to do if you have a test or a paper if you actually feel awful at home.”

“I think that being flexible is a really important thing for both the administration and for students to have right now,” Park said. “I don’t think that the students should really be so critical of the administration because they’re not like the CDC, and they’re not like trained pathologists either. They’re just trying to make the school be able to function.”

To improve future experiences at the health center, students shared advice on self-managing health and well-being during the stressful period of quarantine. “The health services and your teachers are there to support you. Prioritizing your physical recovery and health is the most important for you. I was really stressed out near the end of my quarantine about catching up with a lot of my classes. It definitely took a toll on me by adding additional stress to my fatigue. In general, just take it easy, prioritize your physical recovery and wear your mask,” David said.

Lassey concluded with some advice for the students. “Besides following the protocols and having good discipline around masks, I think the primary recommendation is to be really vigilant about symptoms. Actions such as hand washing, getting enough sleep, and taking care of yourselves can never go wrong. And, as always, keep in mind to be kind and patient with each other,” Lassey said.