Hot girl summer was seemingly in full swing. After experiencing bar after bar, club after another club, I had booked a nice, relaxed visit to my grandparent’s home in Washington DC.
While I did not refrain from the nightlife DC had to offer, I certainly did so with caution. I had been fully vaccinated for months and masked up when asked. Conscious of staying with my grandparents, I was sure to wash my hands thoroughly and often. All seemed well… until I got home.
A raw throat and itchy eyes had me cursing the Colorado wildfires and blaming allergy season on such awful symptoms. My mom urged me to get tested for her personal peace of mind, and I, begrudgingly and doubtful, complied. When the test came back positive, I nearly fell out of my chair.
How could this have happened? Not only was I vaccinated against COVID-19, but I was careful! As my grandparents and travel buddies tested negative, my grief turned to anger. I would not be able to move back to school on time, see friends before classes started, or decorate my apartment with my new roommates. I wallowed in sadness and lame Netflix TV shows for 10 days.
What I learned, though, was that we are not invincible. I am so lucky to have been vaccinated before I was exposed to COVID. While the symptoms were no day in the park, it was better managed by the immunity granted to me by the vaccine.
I am just as angry as the next Boulder student about the mask mandate. I, more than anybody, understand what it feels like to be this close to normality and have it taken away again. Unfortunately, we will not be able to prevent everyone in this community from getting sick or suffering from the consequences of this virus.
We can, however, encourage our loved ones to get vaccinated and advocate for the use of vaccines to combat this disease. With more variants popping up on our news feed every day it is now more important than ever to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community at large. If there was ever a sign to continue getting tested, continue the flow of accurate information, and to get vaccinated — this is it.
All of us are susceptible, vaccinated or not, until the community at large adheres to the recommendations of health professionals. Even if you truly believe you are being smart, careful, and conscious, you are still at risk.
We are a lucky demographic. I was able to recover within a few days and continue normal activities in just a few more. But for the sake of the young kids who will not be able to go to their classrooms this fall, the older members of the Boulder community who have yet to see their families for fear of their lives, and the countless angry members of our student body who are sick of wearing face coverings to math class — get vaccinated.
If you are looking for more information about the spread of COVID-19, please find it by clicking here. If you are looking for ways to get vaccinated, please click here.