Maybe you guys have been in healthier classes than me, but lately my lecture halls have been filled with echoes of coughing and sniffling. I guess it should be no surprise that once 4,700 students were put back on the same campus they’d all start swapping germs, even with the mask mandate. Well, as I am sure some of you are as well, I am a member of the sick majority of campus. With an endless number of negative COVID tests, I am officially learning how to be sick without having COVID, in the time of COVID.
One of the craziest parts of this pandemic for me is that I forgot that sometimes I actually just get sick. We have been trained over the past year and a half that every sneeze, every cough, every headache, meant the worst. It’s way too easy to panic and take it to the extreme, so from a girl who is going through a non-COVID sickness, take some (non-medical, non-doctor-related) tips from me.
1. Don’t freak out!
Get tested, stay home, and mask up. It is the responsible thing to do to make sure you protect your communities when you start feeling bad, but that doesn’t mean you have COVID! My “I think I have Covid oh my god” freak-out was a major spiral, a huge waste of time and energy. Stay home and enjoy some TV or get some work done while you wait for results.
2. Call a friend
It’s hard being sick, and even harder to be sick in college when you have to completely take care of yourself. I’d be lying if I wasn’t sitting in my room wishing my mom would bring me soup like the good old days. Even if it feels like you are alone, you are not! Rely on your friends and family. When you’re feeling up for it, FaceTime your parents. Let your friends buy you soup or NyQuil. Don’t try to tackle it alone, it’s important to get some help.
3. Take care of yourself
Personally, I was in the mindset of “well it’s not actually COVID so then I am not actually sick.” I pushed myself way too hard and then regretted it when I was up at 4 am with a 102-degree fever. We are in a time where everyone is so understanding of illness and staying home, take advantage of that! Go to the doctor, take some Advil, drink some tea, and prioritize your health.
Keep in mind, I am no professional, and really have no ground to give advice at all. What I do know is that we are all navigating situations that no one knows how to navigate. The best thing we can do for each other is drop some tips and try to get through it together. So if you’re feeling sick, take a breath, and get well soon.