As temperatures begin to drop and flu season creeps up on us, many are concerned about the rise of coronavirus cases. Monmouth University is currently operating entirely remotely as cases within our community continue to rise. With the recent spike in cases in Monmouth and Ocean County, many are anxious about what is to come for the remainder of the cold and flu season.
Former Monmouth University student Megan Corbet attended a graduation party just a few weeks ago to celebrate a friend’s graduation achievement. Just a few days later, she got a text from the host that someone at the event tested positive for COVID-19. Megan and the friends she drove to the party with all ended up testing positive for COVID-19.
I spoke with Megan about her experience with this controversial and deadly virus. She said, “To be honest, I would have never known I even had it until my friend told me someone tested positive at her graduation party. However, I had been really tired ever since her party but I figured I was just having a long hangover.”
This is very common for young adults as they fail to differentiate COVID-19 symptoms with the common cold, allergies, or even a hangover.
Megan went on to say, “The day after I got tested I had a slight fever and was still pretty tired. My results came back positive and the hardest part was staying isolated for the next ten days because I really felt fine.”
Megan’s story with coronavirus is very similar to other 20-something-year-olds’ stories. Young healthy adults tend to have minimal symptoms from the virus, causing them to think that COVID-19 is nothing to be scared.
It is important to acknowledge that not everyone is as healthy as people in their twenties, and coronavirus still brings a huge risk for people who are older.
It is vital to communicate positive results to people you have been around in order to prevent the spread of the virus to our elders or to those with underlying health risks.
As Megan said, she would have never even thought to get tested without the heads up from her friend. This virus is very tricky to comprehend, but we all must do our part to get out of this pandemic.
Some may be embarrassed or scared to tell friends about positive results, but it is mandatory to do so.
Imagine if Megan’s friend never texted her or anyone at the party about the positive case? Multiple asymptomatic coronavirus carriers would have been walking around with no clue at all that they were spreading the virus. During these scary times, communication about health complications is crucial.
Luckily, everyone else in Megan’s household tested negative for the virus. She took the time to catch up on Netflix shows, prepare for her upcoming job as an accountant, and spent some quality time with her dog.
This is why it is so important for Monmouth students to be careful about hanging out in large groups or going to parties because you never know who has been exposed to the virus. We all want to be out having fun right now socializing with others but we need to play it safe.
IMAGE COURTESY of Megan Corbet
