The ten minutes that feel like eternity. Photo Courtesy of Arts and Entertainment editor Olivia Cusick.

  The first reported cases of COVID-19 appeared on December 12, 2019. Three and a half years later, the pandemic has not gone away. For students at San Luis Obispo High School, the lasting effects of the pandemic have continued to linger. 

  After three years of filling headlines, COVID-19 is not being discussed as often as it once was, but the death toll in the United States alone is resting above one million. 

  One of the biggest problems with COVID-19 has been how it has become a political issue, rather than just a health issue. The problems began to fester as the pandemic happened during an election year. Both sides of the political spectrum were able to utilize COVID-19 as a weapon against the candidate they rivaled against. Mandates, guidelines, and any protocols to prevent spreading ultimately were criticized constantly by both sides. 

  With the politicization and polarization of the disease, life has entered an odd middle ground. Some students continue to wear masks every day, no matter how they physically feel, and some do not. Free tests continue to be available to students in the nurse’s office, and for other members of the community, COVID-19 tests are distributed at several locations throughout the month, but COVID-19 tests aren’t required to be taken to allow a student to return from an illness. 

  Two weeks ago, I woke up with a headache and sore throat. After taking a test, I was ecstatic to see a negative test result, so I wore a mask and went to school despite feeling out of sorts. The next day, I came home after school, and decided to take another one, just in case. It was positive. 

  Two thoughts came to mind before anything else: Is there anyone that I could have exposed, and what if this becomes long COVID-19?

  No matter what an individual believes about COVID-19, almost everyone can agree that it is not a great feeling to know that someone feels unwell because of your actions. It’s not about COVID-19, it’s about empathy. 

  Long COVID-19 is still being discussed, as the long-term effects of the pandemic are just now being discovered. The term “Long COVID-19” began to pop up in May 2020. Some people who had caught the illness continued to be sick, after weeks of being affected by painful symptoms. Long COVID-19 will be discussed for the next several years, as people who work in the medical industry continue to discover new symptoms and potentially treat these long-term effects. 

  Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths will all continue for at least several years from now, and as the numbers continue to rise and fall, each individual is ultimately responsible for their actions.

If students feel sick, it is their responsibility to determine whether or not going to school is a smart or safe decision for their health, as well as everyone around them. 

  Source: covid.cdc.gov, cdc.gov, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, slocounty.ca.gov,