Each person is responsible for stopping the spread of the COVID-19, said students, a faculty member and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention officials. Students shared further precautions to keep themselves and others safe, including wearing and mask and washing their hands frequently.
According to the CDC, the transmission of COVID-19 is “through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of nearby people or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Some recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms.”
CDC officials have promoted a saying, “COVID stops with me” by wearing masks, keeping a safe six-foot distance and continually washing hands.
Meilani Tuioti, a student from Canada, said, “I wear a mask because there are a lot of theories. Some people believe you’re protecting yourself, while others believe you’re protecting other people. Either way, I’d rather be safe than sorry.”
Tuioti, a sophomore studying elementary education, further explained, “I hope everyone is taking whatever precautions they can. I know it’s hard for some people, [we] still want to live life, but it will be so hard to be able to do things if we’re not willing to make the sacrifices now.”
It will be so hard to be able to do things if we’re not willing to make the sacrifices now.
She said she believes even though people need to make sacrifices, they can make the most of their time. “I want to be confident that I was doing all that I could to prevent it, as well as come out of it a better person,” she added.
Head of student leadership and services, Alison Whiting, shared one of the reasons she wears a mask is because “with COVID you don’t know what the incubation period is, and you don’t know when or if someone you are with has been exposed and they don’t know either.”
Recommended safety tips
Roche Donato, a senior from Qatar studying exercise and sport science, said, “My thoughts about stopping the spread of COVID are to follow what the government says.” He shared alongside instruction from the government, he takes other precautions.
Donato said he has a consistent routine of wiping down frequently touched items, door handles, tables, laptops, pens and pencils. He has also been taking hot showers and changes his clothes after going out.
He said the importance of cleaning reusable masks daily to protect oneself. He washes his mask in boiling water and then air dries it. He also said to throw out the disposable masks frequently and not to keep reusing them.
Donato said he makes sure to always keep hand sanitizer on him when washing his hands with soap and water is not available. According to the CDC, washing hands with soap and water is the most effective. Hand sanitizer is an option, and “alcohol-based hand sanitizers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly, [but] people may not use a large enough volume of the sanitizers or may wipe it off before it has dried,” said the CDC.
Tuioti stays safe by staying home with her family and not going out often. She finds activities such as going to the lake and working out to get out of the house. She and her family go to locations where they can social distance.
Tuioti recommends and also follows the bubble rule. She explained, “We go around our immediate family, and our bubble isn’t a [certain amount] of people at a time but a [certain amount] of people in total that we are choosing to spend time with. We don’t allow a lot of people in our bubble.”
Whiting said that she allows people into her bubble who she knows are complying with the guidelines and who will think of her and her family’s wellbeing.
She shared, “My parents’ next-door neighbor got sick and died of COVID within her bubble. It early on made it real to us. She had delivered cookies the day before, and then she was gone.” She added we don’t have to be afraid, but we should be careful.
Reporting cases
In an attempt to support the community, BYUH asked all students and faculty to report to the school if they have been affected by COVID-19.
They said, “If you have tested positive for the virus or are awaiting COVID-19 test results, please fill out the BYUH Health Services Self-Reporting form.
“Any positive cases on campus will continue to be reported on the COVID Case Management website. No additional details will be released beyond the updated case counts on the website.”