This past weekend has seemed like something out of a movie for myself and my suite-mates.
Last Wednesday, our campus was made aware that the first positive COVID-19 case was reported and that one of our buildings had quarantined its entire first floor. This, of course, is something our campus has been preparing for, so we really thought nothing of it.
This was until my suite-mates and I learned we may have been exposed to COVID-19. Now the ball was in our court and we chose it was in the best interest of the campus to make someone aware. Once we did this, the following morning we were swabbed and immediately sent to the off-campus quarantine site, the Holiday Inn and Suites just off the Selinsgrove Strip.
The amount of time it took us to get from point A to B was probably about 30 minutes, and we were left absolutely clueless as to what was going on, or for how long we would be there. The experience was mostly satisfying, except for the fact that we were isolated from one another.
Each of us were locked away in a different room on the same floor of the hotel, and we were joined by other students. Some were there because they were experiencing cold symptoms, and others were like us and had possibly been exposed. So we waited for our next steps and our first meal of the day.
The meal was served by Susquehanna’s Dining Services. They carted meals to each door, knocked, and set it outside. They were portioned off including a protein, veggie, additional side, water, and dessert. My suite-mates and I joked that it was like we were in prison, but it was nice to know that there were people thinking of us back at the university.
The pillows and shower were probably the best part of our stay, but the constant stress of not knowing our results or being able to see one another kind of canceled those out. Luckily enough we only had to endure one hellish day in Hotel Quarantine before we all received a call that we tested negative and we could pack up and leave.
I have never seen myself move quicker than I did after hanging up the phone. Everything that I packed, which at the time was so little, quickly turned into too much and no longer fit in my “go bag.” But I staggered out of my bedroom and reunited with my roommates after what felt like centuries and we drove back to campus.
If you live on Susquehanna’s campus I can only hope you’re staying safe and healthy. If you end up having to go to a quarantine site, it’s not all that bad and I hope you luck out like we did and get to leave sooner rather than later. Just make sure to pack underwear for a few days because you never know what could happen.