The pandemic is forcing individuals to take precautions and changing student’s lives in several ways. Quarantining is becoming more frequent in Arizona as coronavirus cases continue to rise. In addition to these challenges, attempting to return to in-person learning provides its own set of complications.

If a student is displaying symptoms of COVID-19, they must remain fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications along with isolating for 10 days since the appearance of symptoms. If a student is asymptomatic, they must quarantine for 10 days after their COVID-19 test results. Students are being sent home due to exposure, and here is what they have to say. 

Junior Bridget Hale was never infected with the coronavirus, but was asked to isolate  after coming in contact with another student that had COVID-19. Hale added, “I was kind of scared because I thought that I had been in contact with someone who had it, so I thought I might get sick and my family might get sick.” 

During quarantine it is crucial for a student to communicate with their teachers. Students are obligated to send an email to their teachers informing them of the situation, otherwise the student will not have access to assignments. 

 The Assistant Principal of Curriculum, Joe Greene, mentions that, “The curriculum has not really changed…It’s just the modality of it.” Greene continues by saying that students need to, “stay in touch with the teacher, make sure all of your work gets done, and make sure to hop on Google Meets during the class period” while they are quarantining. 

Hale was not the only student that was required to quarantine. Freshman Sienna Kunze, along with many others, came in contact with the virus. Unlike Hale, Kunze contracted the virus herself. “I was around my sister who had symptoms, so I got tested and ended up having the virus,” Kunze mentions.

Even though Kunze says the workload was a little bit lighter online, she mentions that it was more boring because now she knows what in-person learning is like. Kunze mentioned that most teachers replied to her emails and allowed her to get on Google Meets for notes, which made transitioning back to online a little easier. 

Returning to in-person classes for a student that has been out can be daunting due to the reactions of others, but Kunze mentions that “most of my friends are good about it and know that I don’t have the virus anymore.”

Even if someone is following safety protocols and sanitizing the objects they touch there is still a possibility of contracting COVID-19. Junior Caroline Akin tested positive for the virus despite cleaning her hands often and avoiding large social gatherings. “I did not have any symptoms,” Akin explained. Just like the others, Akin had to quarantine. Akin added, “My teachers posted stuff on Google Classroom and it was really easy to make the transition back to online school.”

Everybody encounters obstacles in their paths during these difficult situations. There is no telling what else this pandemic will throw at people, but as long as teachers and students work together and maintain open communication, they can continue to make it through these trying times.