Coronavirus has swept through the world, transforming billions of lives almost overnight. The virus’s impact extends far beyond infecting people—inciting controversy, inducing fear and halting decade-long traditions, to name a few. While the media often spotlights severe COVID-19 cases, students share, by word of mouth, their personal experiences to be less extreme than anticipated.
“I don’t think [the media] gives accurate information, because they only highlight severe cases and need to cover the whole spectrum,” said an anonymous student. “For some people, it can be really severe and last a while, but for me it was just a bad flu. People don’t really die or get hospitalized as much as you think.”
Despite the standard two week quarantine, students report major symptoms—fever, body aches, chills, etc.—lasting an average of only three days. Residual minor symptoms, such as tiredness or a cold, typically persisted a week longer.
“The actual sickness was better than I expected. My symptoms surprised me because I felt fine except I couldn’t smell,” one student said, “I think the media overdramatizes [the virus]; sometimes it just isn’t as serious as they say.”
While some infected students encountered every symptom, others only experienced loss of smell or congestion. With actual student COVID experiences ranging from a severe flu to a mild cold, students battle the question: Why does the media provoke such fear regarding COVID-19?
“People are scared because you can’t really put your finger on [COVID]. You can get it wherever, from whoever, and it affects everybody differently so it can be a scary thing, especially for high risk people,” another anonymous student said.
Exact exposure to COVID remains a mystery to recovered students as symptoms reportedly develop 2-3 days after initial exposure. Effective methods to manage and prevent the spread of Coronavirus remain a debated topic at The King’s Academy and across the nation.
“Unless you want to live in your house and not talk to anyone until a cure is invented, there’s nothing you can do other than what you’ve been told. Even then, I did almost everything, wore a mask and was socially distanced, but still got it,” one student said.
Nearly every TKA student’s greatest challenge during their COVID exposure was the burden every American has confronted: quarantine. Students advise those who become infected not to allow isolation to negatively impact school work or digital contact with friends.
“I view COVID a little differently now. I’m not scared to have it anymore,” said one recovered student. “If you don’t have any sickness that’s going to kill you, don’t be scared to get [COVID]. It is still a virus in your system, but pretty much felt like a worse version of the flu, for me.”
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