Ashley Explores The Arts

Students have the want and need to be back on campus because of social interaction; that human contact that can’t get from staying at home. It may not be safe, but wearing a mask statistically proves in helping to prevent not only COVID-19, but the common cold and the flu.

According to the CDC, countries in the southern hemisphere just got through their influenza season with little to no cases. “33 influenza positive test results were detected among 60,031 specimens tested in Australia, 12 among 21,178 specimens tested in Chile.” Masks and the use of social distancing are preventing the spread of influenza as well as COVID-19 because there is “little influenza circulation.”

Since masks have become a huge aspect in the lives of people today, protecting people from COVID-19, will they prevent common illnesses in the United States? Dr. Anni Moore, a professor in the department of natural and mathematic sciences, said that masks are for sure helping. “Based on that evidence from Australia you can see that not only are the masks helping to prevent whatever garbage is going around now, but like everything. From common cold to the flu.”

Dr. Moore discussed how most common illnesses are airborne because of aerosols or how long the particles stay in the air. This means that if somebody coughs in one area and somebody walks in, breathing in, they are breathing in those particles. People in packed areas share a lot of the same air.

One of the really packed areas on college campuses are the music departments. Shane Macklin, the band teacher at Morningside, also discussed how aerosols are a big issue for the spread of illnesses. He goes through a lot of precautions to keep the air circulated and to let it air out. “We only play for thirty minutes at a time. Outside is five minutes, then we shift our area and play another thirty minutes.” It isn’t all about masks working alone, but also the air flow. Macklin said, “It’s mitigation not elimination.”

That is why a lot of colleges see wide spread of colds, flu, or recently COVID-19. Students are going from classroom to classroom, not giving the rooms time to air out. They are interacting with other students who just came from different buildings.

Dr. Moore stated, “It is the nature of a young animal, a human being, to interact with others. And what we are doing now, the precautions really go against the nature of a person.” It is hard for students not to socially interact because that is where they learn their social skills.

A junior at Morningside, who is also a part of Dr. Moore’s department, Katie Kirby, said how she contracted a fungal infection in her lungs from campus last year. “[Today] doctors say I am still recovering.” She got this infection because of how the air systems are connected throughout the dorms. If one person is sick it is going to spread throughout the whole building.

Another student who is a part of the student government, Haley Vigil, commented on how they are trying to improve COVID-19 on campus. However, the college is doing all they can by enforcing their rules, but really it is the students who have to do most of the work. “Making sure you do it not because you are told to do it, but because it helps other people.” Vigil also said that at one point the college was going to fine students for not wearing masks, but that was never approved. A fine shouldn’t be held over students heads to make them wear masks, as Vigil said, “Do your civil duty. That is your duty as a student to protect you and other people.”