COVID-19 doesn’t just stop at infection. It doesn’t just start with a sore throat and pounding headache. For me, and so many others, it has never stopped. It has caused irreparable damage to our bodies causing life altering changes and decisions.

I am what medical professionals now call a ‘Covid Longhauler’.

I was a college sophomore who just celebrated my 19th birthday on the first day of school. Three days later, I tested positive for COVID-19. In the matter of a few hours, I went completely downhill.

Who knew the change that would take effect so quickly would end up changing my life forever. At first, I was skeptical. Skeptical how something could take over the world so quickly, how it could close businesses and schools across the world. It wasn’t like anything I had ever seen before.

I tested positive in August of 2020. Today, now August of 2021, my life has been changed in more ways than I had ever imagined.

It started simple like the flu. My life for the next two weeks consisted of the usual quarantine routine. I thought that soon enough I would return back to my normal life. Despite the fact of feeling well recovered for a week, I started noticing drastic changes in my health.

I couldn’t drive long distances without having a headache that caused vision issues and vomiting. My heart felt as if it would leap from my chest at any given moment. I became faint, pale, and dehydrated no matter how many bottles of water I drank or how many vitamins I took. There was a constant burning sensation in the bottom of my throat that altered the way I spoke.

Something was wrong, but the hard thing was, I had almost zero answers. The doctor visits began in September. Ranging from two hospital visits to upwards of 20 doctor visits. I was placed on numerous medications, IVS, had scans performed, blood withdrawn, but nothing ever showed.

After a visit with my heart doctor, I wore a monitor for a week to monitor the tachycardia I was experiencing. After the results, I was placed on a medication that helped slow my heart rate and eventually, it went away. 

I then decided it was time to address my throat issues. I went to multiple doctors who placed me on steroids and antibiotics believing I had an infection like strep, until my Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnosis. 

There was a tube placed through my nose into the back of my throat to test the levels of acidity coming up from my stomach for about two days. The acid reflux had undoubtedly  been burning my vocal cords and tonsils. Three medications later, things started to stabilize with the occasional sore throat and a diet change.

Then came the worst of it all, migraines. I quickly learned, migraines are not your typical headache. They came out of nowhere and completely shattered my everyday life. 

Again, a neurologist and hospital visit later, a chronic migraine diagnosis was made. Today, I still struggle the most with this diagnosis. I have monthly shots injected into my abdomen, as well as daily medication to prevent the onset of a migraine, but they still come and go as they please. 

And into the summer, after a couple visits and discussions with doctors, I was told there was a possibility of genetic disorders, chronic illness, and even the possibility of blood cancer.

At 19 years old, when I should be enjoying my summer with my family and friends I hadn’t seen all year, I was facing the reality that COVID could seriously kill me not during, but after? No individual should go through the process of being told that’s a possibility. I thought to myself how am I going to finish school? Will I pass down a disorder to my future kids? Will I even make it to then? 

As luck would have it, more work and a specialist later there was nothing that suggested any cancer and I had tested negative for any kind of genetic disorder.  

At this day in time, I have 3 acid reflux medications to be taken as needed, one migraine medication to be taken as needed, and a monthly migraine injection. While the status of my health has made tremendous improvement, my life is still being altered by a virus I contracted over a year ago now.

My point in all of this is that we really don’t understand the severity of this virus. Everytime I spoke to a doctor I was always told the same thing: ‘We are still learning about the effects of this virus on the human body, but it is safe to say that all of these issues are coming from it.’ 

Clinics are going up across the world for people like me who still are ridden by this sickness. Covid does not pick and choose. I was young and healthy. I did everything right. I wore a mask, socially distanced, and I still got sick. While it seems like an oxymoron, I ask that you all, as my classmates, friends, and Georgia southern family, take this situation seriously. We really don’t know everything about this virus or how it will affect every one of us, but all that we can do is know that it’s not to be played off. 

Take it from me, an individual who has suffered its effects for over a year. Or take it from a loved one, a neighbor or a classmate who has directly lost someone or themselves to this virus. So please, protect yourself and protect each other.

The post OPINION | My life as a COVID-19 long-hauler appeared first on The George-Anne Media Group.

Executive board plans to work more with other clubs and support survivors and the LGBTQ+ community.

ERIE, PA (September 3, 2021) – Retired Chairman and CEO of BB&T John Allison and Free To Choose Network Executive Editor Johan Norberg will be hosting two free Crowdcast screenings of a new documentary, Corporate Welfare: Where’s the Outrage?, on September 22 and October 20.

The one-hour documentary features personal stories of the effect of cronyism, tax exemptions, subsidies, government regulations, and bailouts – all commonly used to help big business. Hosted by Norberg, the provocative documentary examines America’s system of farm subsidies, Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Big Oil subsidies, unfair government policies, and tax breaks. Allison offers a perspective of the 2008 financial crash from the viewpoint of a banker caught in the middle. The program takes viewers across America to talk with individuals whose lives and livelihood have been directly affected by the outrages of corporate welfare.

The screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A with John Allison, who is also Distinguished Professor of Practice, Wake Forest University and Retired President and CEO of The Cato Institute;

and Johan Norberg, author, historian, and a Senior Fellow at Cato Institute.

Attendees must register through Crowdcast in order to reserve space.

Wednesday, September 22 — 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. ET – https://www.crowdcast.io/e/corporate-welfare-allison

Wednesday, October 20 — 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET – https://www.crowdcast.io/e/corporate-welfare-allison2

Corporate Welfare: Where’s the Outrage? is currently airing on public television (check local listings), and it is available online on the PBS App, YouTube, Roku, Venmo, and on www.FreeToChooseNetwork.org.

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Marjory Hawkins
Hawkins PR
mhawkins@hawkinspr.com
512-940-2828

As students return back to the University of Utah campus for Fall 2o21 semester, the delta variant of COVID-19 has caused some skepticism about the safety of bringing the student population back.  The Centers for Disease Control describes this mutation as a variant that seems to spread more easily and quickly than others which may lead to more cases of COVID-19.

Healthcare strain has been a consistent issue for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to ABC4 News, the U Hospital ICU reached full capacity again on Aug. 25.

The Utah Department of Health cites that Utah alone had breached 1000 cases per day beginning on Aug. 4, adding to death counts and achieving the highest rolling seven-day average of cases since mid-February. Vaccinated people are extremely unlikely to be hospitalized, while those who have yet to receive the shot are much more at risk.

House Bill 1007, a bill that recently passed Utah legislation, “prohibits a face-covering requirement in the system of higher education and the public education system.”

This statement from the bill denies the U the ability to mandate masks upon enrollment. Sen. Evan Vickers, the House Floor Sponsor for the bill, said the bill puts masks and vaccine mandates under the same jurisdiction as all other policies declared as a state of emergency. The idea is that there is oversight and the ability for more discussion to take place.

“This bill is misinterpreted,” he said.

Carol Snyder, a parent of an incoming freshman from Elmhurst, Illinois, expressed her concerns with the new variant of the virus. With close friends and even her parents getting the virus, Snyder has extreme concerns about the delta variant.

“The more the virus spreads, the more the virus mutates, and it’s only a matter of time until the virus turns into something more impactful and harmful,” Snyder said. 

She said she is frustrated with the state government, saying the government is stepping in and making choices they shouldn’t be. Snyder said the scientific and medical communities’ hands are “tied … and I’m frustrated that lawmakers would claim to know better than the medical community.”

In addition to frustration with this, she is disappointed masks cannot be mandated and expresses fear of peoples’ rights being taken away.

“It’s a balance between personal freedom, and in this case, your personal freedom not to wear a mask affects the health and wellbeing of other people,” Snyder said. “I think that’s where [officials] must be able to step in to do some of these things at least in the short term.” 

Despite not being able to mandate masks, the U is encouraging students to follow CDC guidance of wearing them indoors despite vaccination status. Additionally, the U announced they will be requiring vaccines with more details being released in the next few days.

Lauren Banner, an employee at the U’s on-campus preschool, had a different experience with COVID-19. She and her preschool student have both contracted and suffered from the virus, with her having lasting effects that will continue to change the way she functions forever. Banner expressed hope for the pandemic to be over soon.

“Most of the people at the U are smart and getting the vaccine,” she said.

She said she is indifferent to the bill, saying that as a vaccinated person she feels safe and is glad that the school cannot mandate masks. For her, there seems to be no reason to.

k.gilbert@dailyutahchronicle.com

@KaileyGilbert3

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The post U Community Discusses COVID-19 Safety as Campus Busies appeared first on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

Emory University will shift from the green operating condition to a “modified” yellow condition effective immediately, according to a Sept. 2 email from Executive Director for COVID-19 Response and Recovery Amir St. Clair. 

The shift was attributed to the campuswide increase in COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, St. Clair wrote.

As of Sept. 2, 147 students and faculty have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days, the University’s COVID-19 dashboard reports. The campus test positivity rate for students has increased to 3.24% from over 1% on Aug. 30. Of the individuals with positive screening tests since Aug. 23, 70% have been vaccinated, according to St. Clair, adding that those fully vaccinated are showing mild or no symptoms.

About 95% of students and 91% of faculty and staff are fully vaccinated as of Sept. 2. 

On Aug. 31, 34 students received positive COVID-19 test results, the largest single day increase in positive tests since Feb. 17, when 51 students contracted the virus. The earlier spike triggered the University to implement a twice-weekly screening test policy for on-campus students.  

Last week, the University administered 2,076 screening tests, roughly 14% of their 15,000 weekly testing capacity.

The email stated that off-campus transmission remains the chief source of infection, adding that no classroom transmission has been reported.

Masking is now encouraged outdoors regardless of vaccination status, a change from the green operating condition guidelines that only required indoor masking. Outdoor dining is also recommended, but not required under the conditions. 

Access to the Oxford Dining Hall and Dobbs Common Table will be restricted to students who have meal plans and take out service will be available at the DCT starting Sept. 3, according to a Sept. 2 email from Director of Campus Dining Chad Sunstein. 

It is also recommended that non-academic indoor gatherings of more than 250 individuals be moved outdoors if possible. Indoor gatherings are also restricted from offering food or drinks, and eating and drinking in classrooms remains prohibited.

Operational changes to fitness centers on campus will be updated on their respective websites, the email shared.

Cases have also been rising in Georgia and DeKalb County, with a 32% and 6% increase in cases over the past two weeks, respectively. Nationwide cases have increased by 14% over the past two weeks.  

Update (9/2/2021 at 4:00 p.m.): The story has been updated to include the vaccination figures of those who tested positive through University screening tests.

The post University moves to yellow operating condition, citing increase in cases appeared first on The Emory Wheel.

UH is extending its original “soft opening” plan for another two weeks, amid safety and welfare concerns around the COVID-19 and the rising delta variant cases.

The announcement came in an email to the University from Provost Paula Myrick Short.

“This decision comes after a careful review of the current pandemic circumstances and the recommendations of public health officials,” Short said in her email. “All academic procedures put in place for instructional delivery at the beginning of the fall semester will be continued for an additional two weeks. We believe this is a reasonable approach to meet our educational mission while taking appropriate precautions.”

Students with questions have been asked to contact their professors, and faculty with questions have been asked to contact their department chairs.

news@thedailycougar.com

—
“UH extends academic soft opening for Fall 2021” was originally posted on The Cougar

On Aug. 5, 2020, Catalyst Apartments, a new student apartment complex, announced that they would be opening in West Midtown, Atlanta in fall 2021. Even as recently as last week, hundreds of students have been stranded in hotels and temporary housing with no confirmation of when they will be able to move into their leased apartments in Catalyst Midtown.

According to the Catalyst website, the apartment promises to “set a new standard for your everyday student experience that’s unlike anything you have ever seen. Catalyst in Atlanta, Georgia will offer world-class student living that’s truly in a league of its own.” With multiple move-in delays, little if any communication from Catalyst employees and unfinished construction, the student housing complex certainly set new standards that most have never experienced before.

“At the time, Catalyst had the best deals in comparison to all the other student apartments around like Inspire. That’s really why I picked Catalyst,” said Caleb Page, fourth-year ME. Page first learned about Catalyst while researching different apartment options near campus and after realizing that the complex would be both in proximity to his friends and within his price range, he decided to seal the deal and apply for an apartment online.

With an original move-in date of Aug. 15, students from schools all over Atlanta including Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Spelman, Morehouse and Clark Atlanta were expecting to move in prior to their first day of class. At the same time Catalyst Apartments announced its development, two other student apartment complexes, Inspire Atlanta and Here Atlanta, also announced that they would be opening in Fall 2021 in Midtown near Tech’s campus. Both Inspire Atlanta and Here Atlanta completed construction on time, and residents were able to move in as planned with time to settle in before classes began.

However, on Aug. 11, days before the set move-in, Catalyst sent an email to residents informing them that “… unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances related to completion and final safety inspection of the elevator, we will need to delay your move-in at Catalyst until at least August 26th.”

“When I got that email, I was a nervous wreck,” said Mishi Banerjee, a recent alumna of Nicholls State University who moved to Atlanta to be closer to her sister while she took a gap year before graduate school. “I was trying to pack up my whole life in Louisiana into my little SUV … I had planned for a month to be moving into this place, so I just had a complete nervous breakdown.”

Catalyst offered two different options for accommodations: if residents were able to delay their move to Atlanta or not require alternative housing, they would receive a credit of $50 per day on their account for each night they chose not to stay in a hotel. Alternatively, if residents were unable to delay their move to Atlanta and required housing, Catalyst would pay for hotel costs including room, tax and parking if it was included in their lease, but they would not receive the $50 credit.

Angelik Laboy Torres, fourth-year CS and film studies minor, is from Puerto Rico and had no family near Atlanta to stay with, but fortunately, a friend near Emory offered to house her and she opted to receive the $50 per day credit.

“It’s really nice of my friend to drive me every single day to school because it’s pretty far,” Torres said. “But at the same time, I shouldn’t be this burden on her and I should just have my own place… I can’t just go back to my apartment and feel comfortable after I finish a class.” Others like Banerjee, who had already enrolled in cosmetology classes, had no choice but to continue her drive to Atlanta and request a hotel.

“I’m lucky I’m not in college anymore, but [Catalyst’s] doings have really disrupted plans I had like applying to graduate school,” Banerjee said.

At first, residents like Banerjee and Page were patient and understanding of the delay, believing that Catalyst was trying to prioritize their safety by pushing move-in by a few days.

Yet, as residents waited in an awkward limbo to move into their new homes, Catalyst sent out another email to residents on floors one to three in Building 100 on Aug. 24, stating “It is our expectation that move-in will be on Saturday, August 28th. Many residents have requested a weekend move-in to work around class schedules,” implying that the move-in was pushed due to the request of students and not other factors like inspection or construction delays.

The email also informed residents that although they will be able to move in, elevators would not be in service and amenities would not be available. Residents on floors four to five were notified that there is no set date for them to move in yet because of a missing certificate of occupancy for those upper levels.

Residents had already paid a full month’s rent for August at this point, which Catalyst required to be paid despite the delayed move-in date, and there seemed to be no sign of a refund insight. With the entire month of August almost over, people became more anxious about whether they would actually be allowed to move in.

“A lot of us have just walked by the apartment and we know that it’s not just [the inspection],” Banerjee said. “It seems like they plan on moving us in when it’s still under construction, which I don’t like because that’s a safety hazard.” On Aug. 27, one day before the new move-in date, residents of floors 1-3 in Building 1000 received yet another email from Catalyst informing them that they would not be allowed to move in until Sept. 1 due to “unforeseen construction final construction issues” and the city inspection approval process.Building 2000 residents were also notified that their building had received a certificate of occupancy and they would be permitted to move in on Sept. 1.

Residents of floors four and five received no further information at the time, and all residents of Catalyst were still required to pay rent in full for the month of September before moving in.

“They need to communicate better. They can’t just say something and then disappear. Being in limbo about somewhere you’re supposed to live is so hard. We’re living in hotels but it feels like we’re homeless,” said Banerjee, who was assigned to an higher floor of Building 1000.

When the Technique reached out for a comment, Catalyst did not respond. Additionally, the number on the complex’s website would not connect, and multiple residents have reached out to leasing officers and employees only to receive silence.

Families and friends alongside residents themselves have turned to social media and writing online reviews in an attempt to get a response from the complex, many leaving one-star reviews online. One Google review by Dajanae Mckinney read, “If we were able to give 0 star reviews I’d make 10000 different google accounts to do just that.”

Frustrated by the lack of communication and never ending delays, the students of Catalyst also formed a GroupMe to connect with each other amongst the shared confusion.

As of Sept. 2, the group chat contained 336 members voicing their concerns over the management and progression of the building so far.

On Sept. 1, residents of Building 2000 were able to move in, but floors one through three of Building 1000 were once again delayed to Sep. 2. Those who did move in shared pictures in the chat of the building and complained of leaky sprinklers in the ceilings, unfinished elevators and uncleaned apartment units while others still await communication on when they can finally move in.

“It’s been absolutely ridiculous,” Banerjee said. “When you think of student housing, you think the priority is the actual students who are in school.

The more marginalized groups you’re in, the harder it is to find someone to relate to. While the internet exists, talking to others online and seeing other people like you get to express themselves and live their lives is painful. Even more painful is going online and seeing someone like you whose life got cut short.

On campus, especially as a new student, everything already feels new, and that can bring some fear with it. Along with that comes the realization that you are one of two or three students of color in a single classroom, and of those students, how many of them are queer? How many of them are neurodivergent, disabled, or chronically ill? How many of them have the same experience and ideals with religion? 

“When you don’t have your group, it can feel overwhelming because there’s a lot of people on campus that don’t share the same ideals or that are openly racist and/or homophobic,” said Alaia West, a queer biracial woman. “You can’t really express yourself as much because… you represent the whole community versus just representing yourself.”

Even finding someone who shares one marginalized identity can still end in strife. Within the queer community, many people—myself included—have felt like the people represented the most were overwhelmingly white people.

“People may be more accepting towards LGBT, but they’re not really as accepting towards race,” said Adriana Deya, a Puerto Rican lesbian and nursing major. “They will try to say that it’s their preference, but I feel like it could be some type of racism where they find out that you’re not actually white, [and] they suddenly see you as lesser than or just don’t wanna date you.”

Many times, it can feel like when people say they have a “preference”, what they really mean is that they have a requirement. On the other side of that, some white queers that do date queer POCs treat it like they should be earning a trophy for it or treat dating a POC as a sexuality in and of itself. Flaunting attraction to queer POCs can cross the line of appreciation into fetishization, so when most of the campus can feel dangerous, it leaves you feeling hesitant to make friends let alone date. 

When writing this, I hoped to share an experience that is often overlooked and find experiences similar to my own. The most telling aspect of this was being asked if I had to take pictures or if I had to put real names in this—for the latter, I do. There were experiences shared with me that I can’t repeat because of the fear of safety, of being outed to family and unfriendly strangers, and of lack of confidence in how ready they were to express themselves. 

Being in a room filled with mostly white people is not uncommon on campus, but that does not excuse the comments, nor the lack of defense. A student announcing to the entire class that, though their religion says that queer people will go to hell, they still choose to treat queer people like people should not be accepted. Telling a POC how they should feel about an event or experience should not be accepted. Most of all, seeing it or hearing it happen should not be accepted because the very same queer POC who see it happen may stay silent for their own safety. So the next time you hear something that sounds off, especially if you have the privilege to, please speak up for those who fear that they’ll be the next victim to pop up in the news.

Other Possible Links:

• The Gay/Trans Panic Defense: What It is, and How to End It (americanbar.org)
• citations-panic-defense-bans.pdf (lgbtmap.org) (Important: Georgia does not have a law banning the gay/trans panic defense)
• Transgender Violence | them. (Important: Most of the reported trans deaths were POC)

The post OPINION | Intersectionality for Queer Students of Color appeared first on The George-Anne Media Group.

Colorado State University’s student government, the Associated Students of Colorado State University, convened for their second session on Wednesday, Sept. 1, to ratify students into several leadership positions within the executive and judicial branches of their organization. 

Last week’s 157-count dip in positive COVID-19 cases could point towards Georgia Southern being on a downward trend in cases, University President Kyle Marrero told the George-Anne Monday.

“I’m not predicting we’re through it, but we’re certainly seeing signs from our peak, 434, to last week, 277, and this week looks like it’ll lower again,” said University President Kyle Marrero. 

Georgia Southern has reported 842 cases since the first day of classes. This Monday’s weekly COVID-19 report showed GS’ first break from rising case numbers this semester, with a decrease from the week before of 157 cases.

“Georgia Southern’s COVID-19 numbers are reflecting similar trends in the region, state, and country,” according to GS’ reporting website. Georgia’s case numbers continue to climb, nearing January’s all-time record case numbers.

The University of Georgia’s case numbers have continued to double each week since starting their fall semester, and like GS and other schools under the University System of Georgia, they’re combatting COVID-19 without mask or vaccine mandates.

While vaccination and masking remain a personal choice, Marrero strongly advised students wear their masks indoors.

“Your impact, your behaviors may be your individual choice, but you’re impacting your friends, your family, the communities of which you interact,” said Marrero. “So when you’re indoors, think about it more than just your own individual responsibility, but then what it means to your community.”

Marrero bragged on the GS CARES center for taking care of contact tracing on campus.

“I would argue we’re actually more hyper in terms of our mitigation strategies than the norm across most entities,” said Marrero. “One thing that got us through last year and that is getting us through this year is the dedication of our CARES notification team… If you call this morning, or fill out a form and say, ‘I’m symptomatic,’ you’re immediately quarantined.”

Those with positive COVID-19 tests, symptoms of COVID-19 or close contact with COVID-19 are to report to the CARES center.

Duncan Sligh contributed to this article.

The post President Marrero optimistic after last week’s dip in positive COVID-19 cases appeared first on The George-Anne Media Group.