The Article below was published in Vol. 135, Issue 6 of the Lake Forest College Stentor on March 6, 2020.
Following Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Andrea Conner’s all-campus email on February 25 on measures the College is prepared to implement regarding the coronavirus and with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s confirmation of a total of 45 cases of coronavirus in the United States as of February 26, Stentor staff spoke to students about their thoughts and concerns regarding the coronavirus. Their responses are reprinted below.
Grace Verb ’22
“The spread of the coronavirus throughout Europe and it’s entry to the US is incredibly terrifying and I can only imagine what it is like for students currently studying abroad in Europe or who cannot travel due to it. It is very frustrating hearing so many students make jokes about it when it is having such a lethal impact. I appreciate the school reaching out to update us on how they are staying prepared and telling us what we can do to stay healthy. It’s crazy and scary to think about this virus going around the world and there is no current cure for it.”
Ajit Sharma ’23
“I am from Nepal and I spoke with my mom yesterday about it. It’s not very prominent in Nepal right now, like it is in other places. They have stopped all flights to China from Nepal to prevent the spread of it. I think we have had only three cases in Nepal so far and we are literally underneath China.
I also think there is a bigger concern here because America has a big market in China and there is a continuous back and forth between the two countries. So my mom was concerned, because she said that since I live near a major city (Chicago) I need to be careful.”
Nicole Choma ’22
“I’m trying to not panic during this time. You can’t always have full control of your surroundings and I’m just trying to stay positive. I hope everyone that has become sick receives the medical treatment that they need, because everyone deserves to live a healthy life.”
Laurel Robbins ’23
“As a biology major, I’m really interested to see what happens with the coronavirus outbreak from the biological and immunological perspective. This outbreak is unique in a lot of ways. There are so many strains and there is so much unknown about the virus, so it is going to be very difficult for scientists to quickly and accurately find a solution. I’m also interested in the aspect that it has a very unique replication strategy with an unusually large RNA genome. Because this virus is so unlike others, scientists are going to have to think outside the box to find a solution. I’m curious about what new discoveries are going to come out as a result of this outbreak.”
Audrey Bailey ’22
“I’m not very concerned about the coronavirus, but when I receive emails about it I definitely become more conscious. Any illness can be spread easily on a college campus because of how closely people live to each other, so people just need to be careful, as usual.”
