Students Experience Quarantine Process
Since February returners arrived on campus, 14 boarding students have been placed in quarantine. Boarders who tested positive for COVID-19 were required to quarantine in the Lamont Health Center and Wellness Center. Those identified as close contacts, meanwhile, underwent quarantine held in the Academy’s two quarantine units, located behind the Health Center, spending 14 days from the time of exposure.
Students quarantining in the Health Center were given their own rooms and half-bathrooms; showers were provided on the same floor.
Prep Matthew Clemson said his experience in the Health Center seemed more restrictive than the quarantine unit experience. “If I wanted to go for a walk, [someone] had to come with me so I guess that's not exactly freedom. At the same time it made sense,” Clemson said. “The quarantine unit people; they can see each other. They can go outside into the little parking lot space pretty freely… they just can't interact with anybody who's not also in quarantine. So they have a lot more freedom than I did.”
Designed with student safety and well-being in mind, mental health checks were also conducted.
“Every day, there was a person who was there for my mental health, who came in and talked to me for about five, ten minutes every day,” Clemson said. “She both did a couple of physical exams, and then was making sure I was eating enough, making sure that I was getting some fresh air going for walks, stuff like that.”
The quarantine units’ guidelines were less strict than those of the Health Center. During their time in the units, students are allowed to leave their rooms, go outside and use the piano room. Similar to those in the Health Center, the students were kept in individual rooms containing a bed, multiple storage spaces and a separate bathroom. Staff members wore full PPE when in contact with students. Vital signs were taken twice a day, and students were expected to be masked and at least six feet away from each other at all times.
Medical Assistant and Campus Building Attendant Meg Weiland expected the quarantine units to be open for longer in light of rising local cases.
Many rigorous cleaning measures have been put in place to keep the units COVID-free. “We approach cleaning with the same precautions as if [the students] have tested positive,” Quarantine Unit Medical Assistant Sarah Libby explained. “Upon arrival in the QU, students have a freshly made bed, clean linens, and a sanitized room. A private cleaning company has been contracted to clean the unit... additionally, we have ample cleaning supplies on-hand for the regular sanitization of equipment, surfaces, door handles, etc.”
Most students believed the QU accommodated their social and academic lives. “The room I am in is good for classes and, although it is quite small, isn't so different from my dorm room,” lower Jackie Wood said.
Senior Josh Yu agreed but also shared his concerns on the units’ facilities. “Because two rooms share one bathroom, if it's running at more than 50% capacity, that means two people that are supposed to be in quarantine are now sharing the same bathroom,” Yu said. Another concern he shared was the WiFi, which he noted to have dropped drastically in quality once more students arrived at the units.
Students in the units had similar exercising opportunities to those in the Health Center. “Normally, there are people that come and take us to the track and walk, but that's very boring if you have to do that every single day,” Yu said. “I wish they would offer a larger variety of physical activities.”
Other students mentioned that the quarantine process has affected their mental health.
“I do acknowledge that the Academy was trying to incorporate ways to keep us mentally stable, like providing Happy Lamps to brighten up rooms, noise-cancelling headphones for noise and to help mitigate stress, etc.,” prep Amber Zou said. “But there wasn’t quite a direct approach to minimizing mental health problems.”
“We all had to be watched,” Zou added. “It was usually large, loud groups of stressed out and angsty students, which did end up adding more to my plate than taking some frustration away.”
Prep Hillary Yoon explained that psychological services were available for those who reached out. “I think most people inside the quarantine units are either too embarrassed or just feel as if they can handle things themselves,” she speculated.
Despite the restrictions of quarantining, Prep Emilia Kniestedt appreciated the Academy’s efforts in fostering a positive quarantine environment. “While being isolated is incredibly hard on your mental health, I think the Academy is doing a great job at ameliorating the time we are here.”
