Many of us students in Southern California schools acknowledge that since the start of the school year, COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed amongst various school districts. The World Health Organization estimates that since August 30, 2023, there have been roughly 770,437,373 confirmed cases, 6,956,900 of which have resulted in death. Despite that, compared to August of last year, the number of cases have also only been 25% as much.
You might wonder how this has been impacting our school so far. Well, going into our first semester, many kids have missed class due to more outbreaks and colds spreading. School nurse Mrs. Wendy Calderon was asked if she thought there had been more COVID cases at our school compared to the previous year. She responded, “Well, we usually get more cases after summer break and three day weekends, so I don’t see much of a difference!” This seems like good news for our campus because, compared to how many cases we had amongst students and teachers a year ago, 2023 has been seen as a better year, according to Calderon.
However, colds have long been a problem in our society and will likely be so for some time to come. What we do, including properly washing our hands and upholding a healthy diet and level of activity, can help us avoid it. Another thing we could also do to not spread colds or germs in general, according to Calderon is also sharing with others when feeling ill. It’s always vital to keep in mind that other illnesses, such as colds and flus, still occur just as much as COVID. “When students think they are sick, some of them tend to go to school anyways and then the nurse’s office,” said Calderon. It is safe to say that our responsibility as students is to maintain caution when being exposed to sickness, even if we feel like some cases are not as much of a big deal as others. But if we all make sure to continue to take care of ourselves and have proper communication with the people around us, it is safe to say that we can make this school an even healthier place!
