COVID is back again, spreading all over the United States as fall approaches. Studies show that over the late summer, cases started coming back in waves, leading people to returning trips to the hospital. Is social distance coming back? Should we wear masks again? All these questions remain unanswered as months go by while the cases rise.

Recently there have been more variants on the rise.  EG.5, nicknamed Eris, is the descendant of Omicron. Some symptoms of these variants are shortness of breath, coughing, fatigue, chest pain, muscle pain, fast heart rates, and a needle-like feeling in the arms and legs. Similar to the last variant, this variant affects all people of age and gender but it is most detrimental to the elderly, and young children. With more than 12,735 (OurWorldInData) patients hospitalized in the United States every week, it’s imperative we follow protocols like washing our hands, wearing masks, using hand sanitizer, and keeping our hands away from our faces. 

Since more and more students at Fallon are missing school due to COVID-19, it’s important to follow protocol procedures to ensure a safe learning environment. Students around Fallon had varying thoughts on this new appearance of COVID. These thoughts varied from being concerned, scared and worried, to not bothered, and adequate. Some students are anxious that no one is being extra cautious and wearing masks because of the rise. We interviewed various students on campus and they have shared their feelings about Covid’s comeback.

Various students on campus shared their opinions on COVID’s comeback:

• Sixth-grade student Shaurya Raghav said, “I got COVID around a week before a trip to India…maybe it was because almost nobody… bothered to wear a mask, and no one was trying to make a rule for it.”
• Seventh grader, Phyllis Zheng said, “I didn’t know that COVID is spreading again, I was very surprised when I heard this.”

Not all students are informed about this recent rise, and those who are, aren’t worried due to our prior knowledge of masks, vaccines, and social distancing. Additionally, some students might even want to go back to social distancing and learn in the comfort of their own homes.

While we don’t know yet how impactful the new wave of COVID-19 is going to be on our community, it is important to take extra precautions and remember to always be safe.