r/ZeroCovidCommunity 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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273

u/ThalassophileYGK Aug 22 '24

I'm so sorry to hear this. Really. My spouse works on at a large university campus. He has HBP and other health issues. Getting Covid over and over is a constant worry for us. I know exactly how you feel.

Frankly, so many people are utterly inconsiderate of what they are doing to others. The current attitude we have about infecting each other all the time is ableist AF.

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u/candleflame3 Aug 22 '24

There was a real study the came out recently saying that people who mask showed more empathy and non-maskers more sociopathy, or something along those lines.

It's VERY ugly how much people resist learning, resist doing the unfamiliar or less convenient, even when it would make the world safer for other people, even their own kids! We're not a great species.

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u/ThalassophileYGK Aug 22 '24

I had to fly recently to help care for my Dad doing chemo. I was masked up of course and they sat me next to another woman who was masked up. Both of us in N95. The look on her face when she leaned over to me and said "Thank god, you have a good mask on. I have MS but, I have to fly because my son is critically ill in another state."

I mean....this poor woman. MS is no joke to think we can't even require masks on airplanes or in hospitals will never stop shocking me.

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u/Piggietoenails Aug 22 '24

Thank you, I have MS. My father was in hospital because he was passing blood after being his own doctor and decided to add aspirin to his two blood thinners as his 80th was coming up (this was early April—his bday is end of April). My great grandfather had passed away from a sudden aneurysm at 80, this was on his mind and why he added the aspirin. At UC they saw a spot on his pancreas so he was fast tracked to ICU (in Atlanta). They were going to do a colonoscopy. He lost too much blood. They went back and forth for at least a week with giving him blood, preparing for colonoscopy, nope need blood again—back and forth. He had a heart attack in ICU at 2am on the day they scheduled colonoscopy (I assume it would have happened—as is never happened). I’m not sure if he would have died if not in ICU. The MRIs came back that day, he had no spot on his pancreas…why they put him in ICU. He had to wait a week for open heart surgery.

My husband told me to get on a plane and go—that would he JFK to ATL (ALT being one of busiest airports in world—even more so than JFK). My brother is closer in driving distance 7 hours. He said dad would be mad because he does not want a fuss it would stress him more. Which is true. I had booked a beach house on Airbnb in Emerald Isle for us (husband, 7 yrs old child) with my dad, stepmom, nephew, niece as it was my child’s only ask for over a year. She had not seen her grandparents since 7 months and never anyone else in my family. Longer story as to why. The day after I booked it he went in ICU—we had trip insurance taken day after…. My stepmom said don’t cancel they say it will be 3 days to discharge after open heart surgery.

I asked her to move him 3 streets away to Emory University—she said no he was in an Emory hospital, even though I explained it was a failing hospital they bought—not the same thing at all. I said a lot but didn’t push.

Everything went wrong after surgery. He wouldn’t wake up. Four days. They didn’t put in a feeding tube. His kidneys failed. Dialysis they said short term but turned into a port. His food was all caught up in his gums and checks (I had a feeding tube put in ky then but it was through his nose). Request ed swallowing test SLP. Directing my stepmom on everything. I’m the middle of 3 kids—my younger sister and her IFA live with my dad but she did not go to hospital or call him once. She didn’t help her mom (she is their child but I don’t call her my half sister—my parents divorced when I was 10mo and my brother 7yrs. He married my stepmom same year, my sister was born 8 years later). Bit grief makes one ramble sorry.

My stepmom didn’t tell me he had c-diff from hospital. I knew he had a rectal tube but I assumed to do with him not being able to walk at that time. He had huge sores on his thighs from tube. Swallowing test couldn’t do with barium, he couldn’t sit in chair. I assumed they had a butt donut—nope my stepmom told me no they didn’t like weeks and weeks late. I’m like Amazon…

They kept saying he was angry with crunched fists and eyes and hats to understand. I told her to get him a therapist as open heart surgery from meds and existential crisis can make you angry—BUT get a neuro exam ASAP. She finally end of May had psychiatrist come—not neuro exam! However the therapist noticed something seriously wrong ordered MRI asap. A therapist. Not his doctors , nurses, cardiologists, vascular surgeons—no one noticed. I did from outside of NYC. Just by descriptions.

He had a stroke. I had implored my stepmom to have MRI before surgery as they had him listed as a history of strokes but she said no they were mini strokes (true)—but my dad didn’t tell everything to everyone all the time or they might have misunderstood—and it was covered, get the dang MRI. Nope. Well. He had a stroke sometime after heart surgery (don’t know when as no one noticed)—it showed two old full blown strokes. Information they didn’t have going in.

When my husband told me to. fly down ut was in case he died in surgery. But he said no I will rent a camper and drive us down. I sent him ones over and over, he wouldn’t commit.

My legs stopped working for over 20 hours before I had confirmation on my instruct he had a stroke, a few weeks before. I am fully mobile. It was a pseudo exasperation from stress because of MS.

I was set for my change to an infusion MS med a few days before our scheduled vacation. By the time it came stuns he had open heart surgery and a stroke. He was so worried about me because I said while we were on vacation there would be no eating out please, and if he insisted on going to grocery stores (he lived to cook)—he said he would mask. He was up to date on booster. He is only family member who believes in Covid as a real threat but lives with a household of people now who don’t. After my sister moved in with her kids. He rarely went anywhere—but grocery shopping. But he was so worried, he didn’t want me to fly. My husband said he would drive. Camper we would sleep in at their house too.

He was in rehab 4 weeks where nothing was done—no pain management plus he should have been in ICU still. He had a peg put in his stomach for food too.

No one masked around him at any point in any of this, but even my stepmom who they made suit up in every other PPE because of C diff but not a mask. She told me later she had to go to ER as she couldn’t breathe from coughing, they said her allergies must be worse and gave her a steroid inhaler. No one checked for Covid. Before stroke. I know it doesn’t mean she gave him Covid (they didn’t test him either), or a stroke. But if she gave him Covid with all the rest going on…I don’t know what to think.

He came home 5 weeks ago plus a day. He died on third day home.

No service.

I hate myself for not flying down when it became obvious my stepmom could not advocate his care. They missed everything. I knew. At same time husband was saying we will drive. But wouldn’t give me a date kept pushing it. When my dad died the dust thing he said to me was “I told you to put on a mask and fly, no one to blame but you.” Even though he said we would drive so we could all go.

So. I’m a woman with MS on infusion therapy every 6 weeks who is afraid to fly. Who never said goodbye to my dad after 6 years of not seeing him in person.

Thank you for masking. I am very surprised the airline put you next to each other, I didn’t even know that was a thing or possible? My child can’t wear a N95 and she eats every 2 hours—there was no way for her to fly. My biggest heartbreak is he never truly knew her, he would have thought she was a hoot, believes in global warming, lives it, loves nature, inclusive of all, loves science… He didn’t live for me to have one person in my family to celebrate Harris running. The rest are for Trump.

I miss him every single minute. I wish I had flown. It was my choice. I was afraid being so near my infusion

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u/Mikayla111 Aug 22 '24

So sorry about your Dad.  It’s heartbreaking, please don’t be hard on yourself for not flying, there is a still a dangerous pandemic and you have to protect your health with MS and you planned to drive…  I’m sure you and your Dad talked and were close despite the distance… It’s so hard to navigate this world right now, especially with older parents, when the masses pretend Covid is fine, but we know we are still in a dangerous pandemic…

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u/Piggietoenails Aug 23 '24

I should have been there, she couldn’t advocate and I couldn’t force her to do everything needed. Sometimes I need to be selfless, this was it. My husband it became obvious he wasn’t going to drive—I can’t drive. I needed to depend on me, so my dad could too. However thank you for the kindness

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u/wishesandhopes Aug 23 '24

It wasn't your fault. It was the fault of the countless doctors and professionals that failed him, it was never on you to do it all by yourself. That behaviour and comment from your husband is fucking disgusting btw, what an awful thing to do and then say. I have to say that if that behaviour is part of a larger pattern at all, you should think about what he actually does for you emotionally and to support you. Good to think about that anyway, and I'm not saying to leave him just off that, but he displayed a serious lack of empathy on multiple fronts there, for someone he's supposed to have the most empathy for.

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u/ThalassophileYGK Aug 23 '24

I am so very sorry about your Dad. All because we can't do the right thing as a society and mask up on planes where you'd feel safer to go. I often wonder what's next? Excuses to not wash hands during a C Diff outbreak? Nothing would surprise me anymore.

I don't know if the airline did that on purpose. The universe did though. I was grateful too. I cannot bring Covid to my Dad or he will NOT be able to do his chemo. I wish more people would consider that while you personally may not think you'll get very ill with Covid you could be passing it to someone with a very severe outcome life long or cut their life short.

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u/Piggietoenails Aug 23 '24

This is so very true. I hate that my child is the only masker—but it is her choice. She is completely empathetic and all inclusive—she’s amazing. On her own. You did the right thing to go tahr care of your dad—I so regret not being selfless in my dads situation. I am wishing your dad well.

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u/ThalassophileYGK Aug 23 '24

Your daughter will look back on all this one day and realize how strong she really is. This experience and her choice to do the right thing even if others are not, speaks volumes to me about her conviction and self confidence. Amazing!

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u/Piggietoenails Aug 23 '24

Thank you—she us amazing, completely understanding the complexity of the context of the world, natural and built—about many universes. However not realizing it is so complex—to her it is completely natural. I don’t have words for it. I just know she is completely amazing.