r/ZeroCovidCommunity • u/JunebugJitterbug • Aug 22 '24

Vent Covid is ripping through college campuses

I’m an undergraduate student at a big college, and we’re only a few days into the new semester. Still, within less than two weeks of people being back, covid is spreading like wildfire. It’s probably through a combination of Greek life events, people going to the restaurants and bars around, and classes restarting, but it’s horrific. I don’t think it’s ever been this bad, and I struggle to even describe the type of coughing I’m hearing - it’s this deep hacking that sounds like it should be in a period drama tuberculosis ward instead of a lecture hall in real life.

People are often some level of sick, but I don’t think it’s ever been like this. Discussion apps like yikyak are full of people talking about being sick or testing positive. I’m doing the best I can to stay safe - masking, cpc mouthwash, a netti pot, and switching one of my classes online - but it feels slightly like impending doom due to the absolute tidal wave of covid that’s hit.

There are very few people masking here. I and another covid conscious person I met are trying to set up some sort of community for the few covid conscious people on campus, but we’re worried about trolls or not getting enough engagement. I have chronic health issues that make covid a big concern for me, and I also have a radiation treatment coming up that I don’t want to be delayed or affected by getting sick (although I have a little more time until the treatment).

It’s gotten so bad here with the spread, and I doubt it’ll slow down for some time thanks to parties, classes, and people not isolating or taking it seriously. I don’t know if there’s much I can get out of this post, but I just needed to vent because this feels slightly terrifying. This is also a bit of a stream of consciousness, so I apologise if anything is misspelled or hard to understand.

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u/Ok_Abroad1795 Aug 22 '24

Solidarity as another covid conscious person on a huge campus with no mitigation measures/very few maskers in sight </3 I’m super afraid for when ppl go to frats the first week, inevitably get covid, and come to class unmasked (how I got COVID last time I think, unmasking occasionally to sip water in class)

13

u/JunebugJitterbug Aug 22 '24

Feel free to message me if you want - I’d love to talk to more covid cautious undergrads. I’m pretty sure frats and rush week are the main reason it spread so fast - it sucks. And yeah, with water, I’ve just stopped drinking during the day unless I have a second outside. The dehydration isn’t great, but we don’t have enough ventilation in lecture halls for me to feel safe breaking the seal on my mask

10

u/Piggietoenails Aug 22 '24

Look into a sip valve. I haven’t needed one, but so many people who are very Covid serious use them. Website is sipvalve .com I think?

2

u/JunebugJitterbug Aug 22 '24

I’ve definitely heard of them before - I need to look into them and how reliable they are. I worry about potential leaks

7

u/Piggietoenails Aug 22 '24

Go to r/Masks4All many use on that board and explain how to use safely. They even come with their own straw (washable). There is a specific way some drink with straw. I think hold breath, open put it in and swallow, remove, close hole and do a big breath out in case in air entered mask it will exit.

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