Guest Column: What’s it like to quarantine on campus?

I have had exposure to coronavirus two times.

In July, my dad tested positive and had to self isolate within my house until the rest of my family got our (negative) test results back. More recently, one of my suitemates tested positive here in Logan.

These were two very different experiences.

At home, we had groceries and a kitchen — we had a porch where we could go when we were sick of being inside. On-campus, you cannot leave your building without touching the communal door to come and go. Instead of a kitchen, you have a meal plan and a microwave.

Because of this, meals are provided three times a day at your door, signaled by a knock. That is, of course, if they get your room right. Around the fourth day of our meals getting delivered, an extra bag started popping up with a name that does not live in our building. 

The meals themselves are pretty basic: cereal, milk, sandwiches, and vegetables with some type of protein. However, you don’t get much of a say over what food you do get. I never signed up for the meal delivery services because I wasn’t sure that there would be vegetarian options. After I talked to one of the COVID CARE Team (CCT) members, I found out that they accommodate for many types of dietary restrictions.

Ella Olson photographed the makeup of meals delivered to her suite. Pre-packaged cookies, chips, and snacks, as well as covered plates of small meals are provided.

Due to the novelty of the coronavirus, there is a lot of uncertainty. We did not get a straight answer on whether or not we all needed to get tested until two days after my suitemate tested positive. 

After you take the questionnaire, the CCT is supposed to reach out, but the majority of us had to call them after a day or two of not getting a response. They seem to prioritize reaching out to the people who are getting food delivered. After one of my suitemates spent three hours on the phone, we were then given the go-ahead to be tested with same-day results.

The agony of waiting for the results is the real killer. They tell you that they will either call or email you. As a result, I spent the next four hours constantly picking up my phone to check my calls and inbox. Would I have to temporarily move into a special quarantine-friendly dorm? Would I be able to go outside tonight?

Once all of my remaining suitemates tested negative, it was celebration time…. Until we were told to quarantine for the two full weeks after exposure. Then we were told that we’re good to go if everyone is negative and no one is showing any symptoms. Then we were told no, you need to wait the full two weeks. Then we were told no, you can leave if everyone is negative.

After some confusion, we were finally able to get confirmation from two different doctors that we would be okay to stop self-isolating as long as we maintained proper preventative measures. A few days later, I received a voicemail explaining that the CDC recommends quarantining for a full two weeks after exposure, but I was already past the 2-week window at that point.

I think part of the ambiguity of the answers we received from the CCT stems from the fact that they cannot force you to do anything. The most that they can do is strongly recommend certain courses of action and provide support with food and class logistics if you do choose to self isolate. 

After my isolation, I ran into the people across the hall that asked about all of the food that we were getting. When I explained the situation, they were taken aback.

Then, at the community meeting, one of my suitemates made an offhand comment about our being quarantined for the past week. This was received with a lot of questions and concerns. We concluded that the reason why they weren’t told was due to HIPAA and FERPA restrictions.

The COVID CARE Team is doing their best, but they need to work on their transparency and response time. They may be understaffed for the demand of their services.

If you do not hear from them within a day of filling out the questionnaire, I would suggest calling them to ensure that all parties have all necessary information. There are still no updates on the mysterious extra bag of food that we have been receiving, and I hope that the student was able to get herself some food.

Here are some resources for any questions about COVID you may have:

• Update for USU Community on Coronavirus
• Self Isolation | COVID-19 | USU
• Utah’s Health Guidance System | coronavirus
• Utah’s Low Risk Phase 051420 | coronavirus
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) | coronavirus.gov
• Coronavirus FAQ: Find answers about Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Ella Olson is originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota and enjoys reading, debate, and hammocking.