Coping with COVID: An Interview with Friends

COVID situations have always been changing. In the first several weeks of spring term, few cases were discovered on campus. Masking was optional and everyone felt very safe going to classes and having meals in the dining halls. However, last week, an uptick in the number of COVID cases occurred all of a sudden. Therefore, I decided to interview some of my friends who contracted COVID, recording their situations and experiences.

The Interview

Q1: When were you diagnosed with COVID? Did you receive a close contact email or did you have any symptoms?

Friend A: I tested positive on 5/5/22. I had symptoms starting 5/4/22. I thought they were allergy symptoms but I tested on 5/5 just to be safe.

Friend B: I was diagnosed with COVID last Sunday (May 8th). I got close contacted but didn’t have any noticeable symptoms. 

Q2: Do you know or do you have any conjecture of where you got COVID from?

Friend A: I have no idea where I got it from.

Friend B: I don’t really know. I only saw the person who close contacted me while we were masked and very briefly, so I doubt it was from her, but I don’t have any other friends who have it.

Q3:  What happened after you tested positive? What did the school’s COVID-19 Team do?

Friend A: We had to fill out a form listing information like roommates/housemates, symptoms, when we last got vaccinated, etc. We were told to isolate in place until isolation housing was assigned.

Friend B: After I tested positive, they made me fill out a form about who I had been in contact with and then called me to tell me that I should isolate myself in my room until they could find me another place to stay. 

Q4:  Where are you isolated? How many people are there currently? How is the mood there?

Friend A: I’m in the Alumni Guest House. I have a roommate. I’ve only seen our neighbor and one other person. Everyone keeps to themselves. My roommate and I are staying positive!

Friend B: I’m currently isolated in Parish House. The mood is overall not too sad, which is nice given the circumstances.

Q5:  How do you get meals every day?

Friend A: We pick up food from Severance (“Sevy”) Hall. It feels weird to be on campus.

Friend B: We get meals by going to a buffet in Sevy every day and getting enough food for the next 24 hours. Honestly kind of better than the dining hall because it’s self-serve.

Q6:  Are you having online classes in quarantine? Are they working normally? Are you used to online classes?

Friend A: Doing Zoom classes. It’s fine. Hard to pay attention. So fatigued.

Friend B: I am doing my work normally for my classes, though it’s definitely harder to concentrate when you’re sick. So I can’t say that the quality of my work is the same as usual. I am used to online classes because I did them all last year, so doing Zoom hasn’t been too challenging. 

Q7:  What’s the best about quarantine? Did you make any friends there?

Friend A: It’s nice to have a break… Yes, I made a friend (my roommate).

Friend B: I’ve only been in quarantine for 2 days now, so I haven’t made any new friends (though hopefully I will in the near future!). I do have to say it is nice to be able to sleep in and it does save a lot of time not having to leave your room to go to classes. So more free time, which is usually hard to come by at Carleton.

Q8:  Anything you want to say to people who’re afraid of getting it? Any last words?

Friend A: I was terrified of getting COVID for so long. And now it’s here and it’s just like a bad cold (so far). I’ll feel so much safer traveling and being around my family and new people this summer though which is great (because you have increased immunity for 90 days after getting COVID).

Friend B: I obviously wouldn’t recommend getting it but everyone is super nice and accommodating about it, so if you do get it, don’t freak out! It will all be fine.

Thanks to my friends for volunteering for this interview!!! Hope they get recovered soon and hope everyone stays healthy!

Sherry is a first-year student from Hangzhou, China, and holds a real passion for travel and food. She is thinking about majoring in Mathematics, but would also like to explore more in Economics, Computer Science, English, and French. Things she likes to do in her free time include hanging out with friends, taking photos, writing random stuff, and finding the funny in everyday life. She also got started with alpine skiing and is always ready for the trip to Welch Village every Friday! Meet the other bloggers!