A Turn of Events (Part 2)

I recieved my Covid test on Tuesday, November 10th. I have only had one other Covid test, which was before I moved into UK. This one was a lot longer and more painful than the first one I received. I was not stressed about testing positive when I got tested because I get sinus infections so often that I knew that what I was sick with was another one. However, on Halloween, I received a text from a friend saying that she had tested positive for Covid and I had been with her a few days before. I totally forgot about this until after my test. After I remembered, I was worried I would test positive. It took a little over 24 hours to get my test results back. I was stressed out the entire time, thinking I would miss the last week I had left at UK. It turns out, I tested negative.

I expected this story to be a little more interesting, think I would test positive and have to experience Covid and all of it's drawbacks. However, I am relieved that I tested negative and get to experience my last week of my first semester of college with my friends.

A Turn of Events

This past weekend, I realized that we only have about two weeks left in the first semester here at UK. It made me upset because a lot of the friends I have met since I came to UK live quite far away from me. My friends' hometowns range from Louisville all the way to Chicago. After thinking about this, I made sure to remind my friends that we need to make the best of these last two weeks and spend some time together before we are away for two months.

Then comes Sunday, which is the day I began to feel ill. I have an ongoing problem with sinus infections, and they have worsened since I have arrived at UK. Every other week I deal with a new one. I decided that I should call my doctor because I was starting to become tired of these sinus infections and genuinely concerned about my health.

When I called my doctor today, I expected her nurse to tell me that I needed to come in and get looked at or that she would just order me an antibiotic since she had seen me so recently. Instead, she told me that my symptoms were too similar to Covid for them to let me come in without a test and that she felt the need to actually see me because of the severity and repetitiveness of these infections. Now I am scheduled for a Covid test tomorrow and have made the trip to Owensboro to receive it. 

I am hoping that this is just another sinus infection and not Covid, but I will keep you guys updated on my test results.

Update on Covid and My Life

Covid has yet to affect an individual in my family. I also have very few close friends that have been affected by it. This is surprising to me because my family and friends have not been super cautious about the virus and have gone about their normal lives while others still are retaining from public events or places. Because of this, I don't have very many interesting stories to tell. 

Just because my family and friends have not retracted the virus does not mean my life has been normal, though. One thing that has been very different is my relationship with my nana. I could not tell you the last time I saw her. She has very many underlying issues and I know that it is best for her if I keep my distance, but it is still disappointing. I am not sure how much time she has left and it is sad that I won't be there for a lot of the time she does have.

I also celebrated my birthday recently and went out to dinner. Because of Covid restrictions, I was unable to be seated with all of my friends. It was still fun for everyone because we were placed near the other table, but it didn't feel right being with half of my friends while the other half sat away from us.

I understand things have to be this way for the sake of public health, but I wish it was different.

If China Comes in First

If a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine proves to be vastly superior to any other in the world, China will gain a lot of power. People will begin to look at China as the savior rather than how they look at China now, as the source of this global pandemic. I assume China will keep the vaccine to themselves until the pandemic is resolved on its grounds. After solving it, it is likely that they offer it to other countries, but I do not believe that it will not be easy to obtain.

This occurrence is not just an example or idea. It is very possible that China will produce the first vaccine due to its headstart on production and great research advances. The U.S. is concerned that they will be second to the vaccine and have already become suspicious of China. China has been accused by the U.S of attempting to hack and steal research on the coronavirus vaccine. China is fighting to be the first to have an effective vaccine because of this accusation and all the other events that denounce the country as a whole. If they are the first, they will have the pride and power that they long for along with new friends.

Covid vaccines and global cooperation

Producing and delivering Covid vaccines really is a global endeavor. Until I looked into the details, I did not realize that it will not only involve the U.S. and a few companies within but the entire world and whoever can offer services. The vaccine has to be produced, of course, but so do the vials that contain the vaccine, the syringes that vaccine is admitted through, and the fridges that keep the vaccines live. Each of these items has to live up to specific requirements to successfully form and transfer the vaccine efficiently. Every company capable of even attempting to create any of these needed items is at work. Companies all over the world are currently in a race to produce these items and contribute to ending the global pandemic that the world has been facing for months on end. The government is funding each of the companies that have the highest chance of producing any of these items. This is very important because without government funding, the items may never get produced at all.

Off Campus Chaos

Recently, UK has been informed of many off-campus parties occurring on game days. There has been photo and video evidence supplied by neighbors and the police that proves this. In order to combat these large groups of student that are not Covid compliant, a contact was signed between police forces in the city of Lexington, Kentucky. Attached here are a few news stories posted by the area's news sites that offer information about the problem https://www.wkyt.com/2020/09/27/uk-investigating-approximately-ten-reports-of-large-gatherings-on-game-day/, https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/counties/fayette-county/article246031780.html, https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/lexington-university-kentucky-respond-campus-activity. 

I feel as if UK is doing what they can to keep their student in check. It is hard to do so when the students are being incompliant off-campus, but the contract should help to keep them under control and keep the city safe.

Safely Supporting the Cats

I recently went to my first UK football game of the year. As we all know, the SEC had a hard decision to make when the questions about football season started to arise. The SEC made the executive decision to let the games be played, while also allowing fans. A lot fewer fans are allowed into the game, though. all fans are also required to wear masks.

While attending the game, I paid attention to what was different in the stadium compared to last year. While walking through the hallways of the stadium, I noticed fewer people and a lot more space to walk. Regularly, these hallways are packed full. Going without touching surrounding fans was impossible before. When I got to my seat, I noticed that groups of tickets had large spaces between them. there were at least five seats between the other group in the row and our own. This is evident in this photo.

You were required to wear a mask at all times in the stadium. The only exceptions were while you were eating or drinking. There were employees of the stadium standing by each staircase keeping an eye on the fans. if you had your mask off, you were told to put it back on. If you disobeyed, you had to leave. I noticed very few people disobeying.

I feel as if UK is doing what they can to keep football season up and running in a safe way. There is not much else they can do without hurting the team and funding. I enjoyed the game, even with the precautions. Here is a snippet for you to appreciate.

Update on Greek Life at UK

Greek Life at UK still seems to be following the Covid guidelines that are set in stone by the university. Most of the philanthropy events have been canceled because there is no way to hold the events in a way that does not disobey the guidelines. However, Alpha Chi Omega and Pi Kappa Alpha recently were able to hold there fairly new philanthropy event called Paint Wars. The event was held outside, which probably gave it the best chance to be held out of all the events that are usually held around this time. They also required masks to be worn the entire time, even during physical activity. A video is attached to the main event, the actual "paint war". The dust may make it look as if masks were not worn. The pictures attached will make it evident that they were required. The only negative thing I have to say about the event is that most people were not six feet apart.

UK Core Issue: How Do We Distribute Covid Vaccines?

If I was in charge of distributing a Covid vaccine to all of the residents of Fayette County, Kentucky, I would start by distributing it to the people at greatest risk. This group includes the elderly, people with underlying diseases, and people with autoimmune disorders. I will ensure it gets to the people who need it most by going through medical records and the census record. You have to consider if the elderly people chosen are in good health or not. You also have to consider the seriousness of the diseases and autoimmune disorders these people have. Some of them, even though they are in these categories, may turn out to be at less of a risk than expected.

Turning Covid Into Art

Pop culture has found Covid in many ways and is a major part of the pandemic itself. One of my favorite artists actually wrote a great song about Covid and the effect it has on people and their relationships. The song is Six Feet Apart and the artist is Luke Combs. The first time I listened to this song, I had literal tears in my eyes. I would recommend this song to anyone willing to listen. Listen to it now at https://youtu.be/Sayh8ZASxk8. Another example of pop culture taking Covid and turning into art is a Japanese artist using masks to make miniature art pieces. Therefore, he is quite literally turning Covid into art. Read more about Tanaka Tatsuya's work here https://mymodernmet.com/miniature-art-covid-19-tatsuya-tanaka/.

Covid and the Miller Household's Diet

My mother has always been the type of person to overprepare. This is probably why we still have a pile of food in the corner of the dining room that was bought at the beginning of quarantine. My mother assumed that every single snack we like was going to be inaccessible, but they all turned out to be just as accessible as always. The only thing that we had a problem obtaining was steak. We do not eat it often, but when we wanted it we could never find it at the grocery. Our family eats a lot of chicken, and we were thankful that it was available most of the time during the quarantine. Covid did not change our diet much. We had the same food in the house that we had always had. However, for me at least, quarantine became a time to get healthy. I began to workout out of pure boredom and was truly in the best shape of my life. That soon ended once we were allowed to go to restaurants again. Something different was that my mother no longer went to the grocery store, but instead ordered groceries for drop off at the house. This was the only big difference I took account of.

Getting Information About Covid

When the pandemic began, I turned to the CDC website for information, just as we all did. I trusted them to give me the information I needed. However, as time passes, many things are being said about the CDC and whether the information is factual or not. How are we supposed to know what is factual at this point, though? Not one person or group is in charge of all of the Covid information. This could mean that information could be hidden, or false information could be shared. At this point, I do not check the numbers anymore. I have decided that while Covid is a real, scary thing, I can only do my part of keeping others and myself safe. Watching the numbers will do nothing but cause stress. I follow the guidelines that the University of Kentucky has put into place rather than trying to read up on how to be safe. I guess you could say I do trust the University of Kentucky and hope that they trust whoever helped them with the guidelines. The University of Kentucky does have a COVID-19 Data Dashboard which is attached here. https://www.uky.edu/coronavirus/covid-19-data-dashboard

Covid information has not caused conflict in my life. I feel as if my friends and family are in the same position at this point. We do what we are advised to do and do not think to question it. We just want to stay safe and make sure the people around us do also.

I personally believe the pandemic has become politicized at this point. I am not sure to what point it is being politicized, but it is definitely happening. I think this is more dangerous than the pandemic itself. If you start to think about the power the government withholds and what they could do with information, it is frightening. The only thing we can do is hope for the best.

Greek Life and Covid

I recently joined a sorority here at the University of Kentucky. The chapter I joined is Kappa Alpha Theta, which happened to be a quarantined chapter. The women living in the house were evacuated at the beginning of recruitment due to a breakout of Covid cases inside. This was upsetting to everyone in the chapter, but the women involved made sure to do the right thing. Each of these women quarantined themselves through the excitement of recruitment and all. To make sure everyone could safely be involved in recruitment, it was held over zoom. After recruitment was over, it was decided that is would be best if we did not have in-person activities for the time being. Our bid day was pushed back and made into a Covid friendly event that the state allowed. It was nice to get to go out and meet my new sisters in a distanced manner, which included masks.

I am proud of the women in my chapter for putting public health above their excitement. They continue to get us involved through distanced events that are all approved by the state or university and help to let us have the closest to normal new member experience we can. I am hopeful that the other Greek chapters at the University of Kentucky are doing the same.

Will the University of Kentucky Stay Open?

Based off what I have seen and heard on campus, I personally believe that the University of Kentucky will stay open for the entire first semester. Yes, I have heard about the breakouts. However, most of the time at least, the people I see on campus each day are following the guidelines. Very rarely do I see someone without a mask on or in a group that looks too large.

There has only been one situation that I have seen as something that would be against the guidelines. In my previous post, I discussed a mishap at Jewell Hall. There was a fire alarm pulled and the situation was not Covid friendly whatsoever. Students were pushed together in stairways and all 740 residents were grouped together outside in very close proximity. Some even went without masks. I am not sure how many students living in Jewell Hall have or have had Covid, but I would think to trace it back to that day.

You would think that the fire alarm situation would cause me to think we will be sent home. However, I believe that if the students that are testing positive for Covid are asymptomatic, we should not be worried. The only negative to college students being asymptomatic is that they do not know if they are spreading the virus. Because of this, I feel as if faculty and students should have the option to stay home, which they do. Instead of sending all of us home, we should continue to have the option as to whether or not we want to open ourselves up to the virus. I think that this will be the best option for the university and everyone here.

A Bad Time for a Fire Alarm

During the first week of school, Jewell Hall had quite the mishap. A fire alarm was pulled in the buliding and all 740 residents had to evacuate. The first problem was the stairs. People were all rushing out of their rooms and to the stairs at once, ignoring social distancing guidelines due to fear. The stairs became full and the crowd was slow moving. Many had forgotten to grab a mask when trying to flee and were within inches of each other. Once the students were outside of the building, they were told to gather all in one spot. This is when students started to yell things like, "Covid central." You can see a fraction of the crowd in the video below.

Thankfully, many of the students in the video had masks on. However, there was no such thing as social distancing. Students stops waiting for about 15 minutes in that same spot. They were not told to spread out. Some students even took their masks off. On the way back into the building, instead of returning in small numbers, the entire crowd headed back in at once. A photo of this is shown below.

I understand that the fire alarm was a surprise to each and every one of us, but I feel as if there should have been a better plan. Students should've been distanced in some way. Students should not have entered the building in the same large crowd that caused problems in the staircases. This was a Covid breakout waiting to happen.

Something to Make You Think

As I walked onto the University of Kentucky's campus on move-in day, the first thing that caught my eye was the light poles. Isn't that funny? I arrive at the place where I will be spending the next few years of my life and I notice light poles. There is a reason for this, obviously. Most of the light poles on campus have signs attached to them. I am not sure if light poles at the University of Kentucky have always had signs attached, but I am pretty sure those signs didn't mention some of the things they do now.

The sign above says to, "Mask up." A year ago from today, when the current sophomores moved in, they would have seen a sign like the one shown above and been very confused. However, when the class of 2024 arrived on campus this year, they understood completely. Masks, hand washing, and social distancing have become some of the main words in our vocabulary. We see these signs and we shrug our shoulders. It has become our reality and we have to deal with it. 

I thought this would be a decent first post about Covid on my blog. It highlights how abnormal life is now because of this virus. We have become so indifferent to things like the sign shown above. It is weird to sit back and think about what we would have thought a year ago from today.

About the Author

Hello readers. My name is Riley Miller. I am from Owensboro, Kentucky. I am a white female coming from a middle class family of hard working people. The Covid pandemic has not taken a toll on my family. I have no family working in the medical field and not one of my family members has retracted the virus. My family's income comes from my father, who is a building contractor that was not required to stop working during quarantine. I know that I am very lucky to have this situation and cannot relate to the masses of people who have been affected. I previously came in contact with a small number of people who later tested positive for the virus, but was fortunate enough to have tested negative. However, I do believe that I may have retracted the virus in February of this year due to having similar symptoms and testing negative for the flu. It was well before Covid was pronounced a global pandemic and tests became available. 

Even though my family has stayed healthy throughout the pandemic, I still feel as if Covid has made a negative impact on my life. Covid took away my senior year and the summer that followed. It is just high school and public health means a lot more than state games. prom, and graduation. However, I still lost a lot of experiences because of it. Most of these experiences I can never get back. I did try to make the best of it though, and so did my high school. I hope to make up for my missed experiences in my college years to come.