Since the beginning of lockdowns in March of 2020, students of all backgrounds have faced major difficulties balancing the pandemic and schooling. Two years after the onset of COVID, the balance has become more normalized but not any easier. Classes are regularly canceled due to illness and two-week-long absences are commonplace.  Bustling lecture halls are replaced with Zoom meetings and online assignments. Some students have even opted to forego in-person classes altogether. Those who choose to return to “normal” life are still met with COVID-related hurdles. For the January 18-January 21 period, the university reported 183 positive cases (not to mention the many quarantines that resulted from those cases).

In late January, UNA updated their COVID policies, specifically for isolation. Though they did not renege on the cancellation of a mask mandate, they do still recommend masks and allow instructors to make their own mandates in classrooms. It further continued with the suggestion to vaccinate (or get boosters), complete the COVID symptom tracker, seek medical attention for symptoms and for unvaccinated or unboosted individuals to quarantine for five days after a recorded exposure. The quarantine period was shortened to more closely follow CDC guidelines, which also only call for a five-day quarantine. Before, the CDC and University requested a ten-day quarantine. For vaccinated individuals, masking up for ten days is all that is requested.

Jessica Wiley is a senior pursuing a doctorate in Psychology. Outside of school, she works in a behavioral clinic. Both on and off-campus, Wiley has seen the significant effects of COVID firsthand. In her clinic, nearly half of their therapists are out because of it.

Wiley finds the lack of a mask mandate concerning. With the combination of the new Omicron variant and lack of masks, the university could become a breeding ground for the virus.

“I knew from the moment I came back to class that I was going to wear my mask,” Wiley said. “Everyone had congregated over the holidays. I think that the mandate was dropped too early. I don’t think I even follow the COVID guidelines… I don’t think more than 25% of the kids that go to this school actually [fill out the symptom tracker].”

In mid-January, Wiley and her entire family suffered from COVID. Her quarantine began in the second week of school and balancing five classes was nearly impossible to do. Especially in classes that opt not to upload lecture videos, falling behind can be all too easy. Wiley is taking a three-hour-long master’s course in which the professor doesn’t upload his lectures.

While she did note that it was helpful that he caught up COVID students upon their return, it can be extremely stressful to even think of missing hours worth of lectures. Wiley is thankful that her job has been understanding about the pandemic struggle as well.

Nearly two weeks after suffering from COVID, Wiley noted that she still has lingering symptoms. Post-COVID Syndrome has been more and more prevalent in former virus patients. For Wiley, she still has pain in her chest, fatigue, a runny nose, cough and still has a lingering infection. Despite no longer being contagious, the pain of the virus has yet to clear away.

One of the upsides to Omicron is the less severe symptoms it presents. For Wiley, her two youngest children seemed to avoid the worst of it. While they still were positive and had symptoms, they were far less miserable. She said that she had absolutely no energy and couldn’t even leave the bed. She found herself falling asleep while trying to do her work.

“One of the things my oldest said was the worst was that it felt like his eyes and nose were on fire,” she said. “One of the weirdest symptoms I had was I had this tickle in my nose.”

Wiley also noticed the high demand for COVID tests. At her local pharmacy, pharmacists had to stand outside to take prescriptions. Her primary care doctor was unable to see her or her son due to the volume of cases they had. After searching for quite some time, she was able to get tested at a drive-through clinic in Petersville. Even once she was there, she had to wait for three hours. Her initial rapid test came back negative. She took a required PCR test for her work, which was positive. PCR tests are more accurate than rapid tests, according to the Mayo Clinic. Especially with the rise of at-home tests, PCR tests may be a less convenient but safer option.

Tanner Collier is a sophomore at UNA majoring in Entertainment Technology. While he has personally avoided catching COVID, he still feels the effects of it. His father was diagnosed with COVID during the same time his grandmother was admitted to the hospital for heart problems, which kept him from being able to visit her. Once Collier’s father recovered, both his mother and uncle fell ill.

“I wouldn’t say that [COVID] has had a negative influence on class,” Collier said, “but I am having to run back and forth.”

Just like Wiley, he finds himself having to balance life with COVID and school. Most of Collier’s classes have been canceled at some point due to pandemic issues. For students, it isn’t uncommon to receive an email from a professor last-minute canceling classes. His speech class was only in person for one day before the instructor’s family was infected with the virus and she became too ill to even continue with the Hybrid-Flex model (requiring some form of communication via Zoom or Canvas).

“My management class has been on Zoom,” Collier said. “The professor is better now. He’s out of quarantine but his kids have COVID.”

Not only have students had to manage their lives in the new age of Coronavirus, but so has the entire university. Professors, students and staff have all had their worlds turned upside down. It is completely normal to have a horde of hand sanitizer or a collection of masks. Plenty of students don’t even know what their fellow classmates look like. Professors have had to change their entire routine to fit the constraints of quarantine and feel a disconnect to the students that come into their classrooms. Campus life has been completely redefined and is a strange new world for the entire UNA family.