By Nick Escalada
Ever since a deadly coronavirus strain swept the globe in 2020, mankind has grown more health-conscious in wildly different ways, from vaccine abstinence to varying degrees of germophobia.
In recent years following the original outbreak and the development of vaccines, COVID-19 has diminished conceptually from a world-threatening plague to a passing nuisance for most healthy people. Like all viruses, though, it is extremely volatile, and lingering variants still mutate, spread and sicken entire communities seemingly out of the blue.
So far in the post-pandemic era, Cal Poly Humboldt appears to be a breeding ground for a new variant each fall. With much of the student body returning from travels abroad, those laying ill as classes start will likely not be scratching their heads at the cause.
Missing out on course overviews and forming study groups does not often spell success, so taking caution around late August and early September has become a yearly ritual.
The best way to maintain good health amid a COVID-19 outbreak is to prevent contracting the virus altogether. Wearing an N-95 face mask in crowded lecture halls gives protection from airborne particulate and droplet pathogens. Taking vitamin C packets and other immune support supplements adds extra security, and avoiding unnecessary social gatherings removes a lot of risk.
According to the CDC, the symptoms of COVID-19 include fatigue, headache, sore throat, occasional fever, cough and congestion. Testing is always advisable upon experiencing any of these, and test kits are available for 20 dollars in the health & wellness vending machines on campus and occasionally for free at Oh Snap.
If a test comes back positive, the California Department of Public Health recommends an isolation period of around 5 days. A fever wearing off and symptoms improving isn’t bold confirmation of the virus’s absence, and it may have just entered a mild but still contagious state. Testing again just in case is never the wrong move.
Whether life-threatening or not, COVID-19 sucks, and taking measures to alleviate symptoms eases the mental toll while riding the sickness out. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen of any brand will reduce those fevers and splitting headaches, and over-the-counter mucus relief should free up congested airways.
At a time where navigating campus can feel like a disease-riddled game of survival, consulting an expert is in one’s best interest. The clinic in the Student Health Center provides information, resources and basic medical services at no cost to students.
Nick is the news editor at The Lumberjack, and studies wildlife and journalism with the goal of spreading his love of nature through media. A famous recluse, he is rarely seen at social functions, but you might dig him up in a SAC lounge beanbag chair. Chat with him at ne53@humboldt.edu!
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