How COVID-19 affect students this last year

HUMANS OF SHS

Isabela Diaz

Abby Doriot

I HAD A MILD CASE, BUT PEOPLE ARE BUT PEOPLE ARE DYING FROM THIS.

How COVID-19 affect students this last year

It has officially been a full year of COVID-19. It all started in March when we were so innocently dismissed for a week off of school, so the virus could diminish by itself. However, as week after week rolled around, the world realized it would be more than just one week of being quarantined.

As this anniversary rolls around, students recall their experiences with the virus.

Mella’s story

While some have not felt the full effect of COVID, many students and staff have tested positive. Junior Mella Neace is one of many who has previously tested positive for COVID. Of the five senses, smell and taste become noticeably affected by the virus. Many lose their sense of smell and their taste even after the effects of the virus have worn off.

“I lost both, but it changed my taste. Now, I can’t really stand to eat barbecue because that’s what I ate when I realized I had lost it,” Neace said.

Thousands of people have shared their experiences with their COVID symptoms that range from severe to mild. Neace had a mild case of the deadly virus.

“I was weak. I had a fever and chills. I was really, really tired all the time, and I had no energy. I was constantly uncomfortable,” Neace said.

Like thousands of others who have tested positive, Neace’s journey with COVID-19 started with flu-like symptoms; she decided to get tested after someone in close contact with her tested positive for the virus. Because no one knows how the virus will affect them with some people feeling severe, life-altering effects and others being symptomatic, people still need to treat the virus seriously, Neace said.

“It differs with different people. I had a mild case, but people are dying from this. It is really serious and people need to know that it is,” Neace said.

Johnny’s story

Many people have felt the strain of being quarantined this year, whether it was because they were sick themselves or someone around them who was ill. Some students, however, have had to be quarantined more than a few times.

Junior Johnny Perkinson, for example, has been quarantined three times now. While he has never gotten COVID-19, some of the people Perkinson was sitting around or associating with caused him to go into quarantine.

“I never actually had it; I just was around people that did. Two of them were people at school that I sit by or talk to and the other was a family member. I was actually out for a month at one time back around Thanksgiving time,” Perkinson said.

While the first few days of being home from school might have been a refreshing change of pace, the days soon started to drag on. To pass the time during his quarantines, Perkinson spent a lot of time scrolling through Netflix or sleeping.

“I didn’t really binge any specific TV shows or movies, but I definitely spent a lot of my time watching different things. I just watched whatever was on at the time, really,” Perkinson said.

Another factor that played into his time at home was his schoolwork and online learning.

“I did not enjoy online school because I just don’t really like it. I feel like it’s a lot harder to stay motivated and on top of all your assignments when there aren’t any teachers checking in with you and making sure you’re actively working,” Perkinson said.

With all these drawbacks, Perkinson managed to stay on top of his grades and schoolwork.

“Though it was challenging, I finished all my assignments on time and kept my grades up,” Perkinson said.