Getting my Vaccine!

Since the beginning of the school year, Carleton College has been keeping a close eye on Covid cases within the county and campus. To prevent a large outbreak of the virus, the student body and staff have been adhering to several precautions such as random testing and social distancing.

In-depth Covid-19 Precautions

Random Testing– The process of random testing is just how it sounds! Since fall term, random samples of students, facility, and staff have gotten chosen weekly to take the Covid-19 test. When one gets chosen to take the test, they schedule an appointment for the following week. Over the course of the school year, the sample size has increased from 300 to 900 making the random samples increasingly accurate.

As a busy college student, I have always liked how Covid-19 tests took about 5 minutes out of my day. The Covid tests are done via nasal swabs, and the results come within a day. As someone who has small nostrils, I imagine my nose silently crying whenever I get chosen for the test.

Social Distancing– To help students remained distanced, room sizes have quotas. This helps to prevent overcrowding in indoor places like study rooms, bathrooms, or study rooms. Other signs are stickers that mark six feet spacing on floors. These signs are in locations that warrant long lines, such as dining halls or sport activities.

Getting my Vaccine!

After heeding to these and other Covid-19 guidelines throughout the year, Carleton students and staff are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. With there being a high scale of vaccine distribution, as of April 2021, 74% of students and facilities have received vaccination. As Carleton is transitioning into its last phase of vaccine distribution, it is aiming to vaccinate off-campus faculty and staff.

I was part of the group that received vaccination under phase four, which was designated for the remaining unvaccinated, on-campus students. I was vaccinated on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. When I got my vaccine, my arm was sore from the shot. Then, the following day I had a mild headache, but that was it! I hope for the best when I get the second dose of my shot.