Covid Protocols, Why Should We Follow Them?

Since schools have reopened, there have been a number of protocols put in place for students and teachers to follow. These protocols are put in place to keep students and teachers safe and prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. 

Some of these protocols include wearing a mask inside at all times, wearing a mask above a person’s nose when inside, wiping desks after each class period, putting hand sanitizer on when entering and exiting any given classroom, and keeping a three-foot distance between people at all times.  Some people believe that these protocols are too over the top or useless, but here is everything students should know about these covid protocols.

On-campus it is required that you are wearing a mask at all times unless eating or drinking. You also must wear a mask in the classroom above your mouth and nose at all times. This is recommended in all K-12 schools for all people on campus. This is because of the Omnicron and Delta variants of Covid-19, which are airborne and spread at increasingly fast speeds. Disease spreading, due to failure to follow these protocols would almost definitely result in all students returning to online learning. 

The main problem that we have involving masks is that a frightening number of students neglect to follow the guidelines to keep their masks above their noses and mouth. “Maybe I’ve done it like a hundred times,” states the Dean of Students, Mr. Jaimes in reference to how many times he has to ask students to keep their masks on daily. This is a huge problem for everyone because this allows the virus to spread even faster than it would otherwise.

 Now even more than ever, it is important to keep your mask up because students are being sent home, student-athletes are not able to participate in games, and we are all in danger of being put back into online learning. “As of right now on January 14 since we’ve gotten back to school, we’ve had a total so far of over 90 kids out because of covid, having covid, or being a close contact,” says Mr. Jaimes.

Next, wiping down desks is another everyday protocol that we follow at school. This practice can be helpful in combating Covid-19 because it disinfects most of the germs on the top layer of the desk. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC states that the risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus from the surface transmission is fairly rare, but certainly not impossible. “It is possible for people to be infected through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects (fomites), but the risk is generally considered to be low,” says the official CDC website.

Another protocol that we have here is sanitizing your hands when entering and exiting a room on campus. This practice is more commonly referred to as the “gel-in, gel-out” process by students and teachers alike. This process is somewhat difficult for students to follow; not because it is physically difficult, but it is mentally difficult for students. Many students complain about how slimy it is or how much it dries out their hands. However, the CDC says, “Touching eyes, nose, or mouth with hands that have the virus on them,” is an easy way to contract the virus, so sanitizing your hands is very important.

Finally, the CDC recommends 3-6 feet of distance between students at all times while at school. Social distancing seems to be the hardest protocol for students to follow. “It is hard for me and my friends, you know. We’ll just be walking or messing around at lunch or in the halls and forget about it. We don’t think about things like that while having a good time,” says CPM 7th grader CJ Donaldson.

This is also true for many other students at this school, who just don’t think about it while having a good time at school. However, remembering to follow these protocols will keep the students and faculty at this school safe and help everyone reach a sense of normalcy sooner. CJ went on to say, “Yeah it’s hard, but you have to follow the rules. I’m not perfect, but the sooner we get rid of the Covid threat, the better.”

By: Alex White