Upon returning to in-person school in the 2021-22 school year, we saw an uptick in COVID-19 cases affecting our peers and staff. We were fortunate to have Inspire PCR Testing on campus to help us identify positive cases and make sure they were isolated before cases spread. 

Now, it’s much harder to know if there’s a rise or fall in cases in the total population because such a small portion of the school is still getting tested regularly. Since Aug. 22, there have been 23 students and six staff members who have tested positive, all of whom tested at home. However, according to district nurse Lisa Tripp, less than 1% of the school body has gotten tested at the Inspire stations since the beginning of the school year. 

The school no longer requires weekly testing, so the long line of students and staff that used to extend through the parking lot sidewalk has dwindled down to just a few. In fact, the idea of being tested weekly had already started dwindling by the end of last school year when COVID-19 cases were still spiking. However, students should realize that we are privileged to be offered Inspire’s weekly testing services (available in front of the gym every Monday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Although most Americans have already gotten COVID-19 at some point, according to a study reported by Time Magazine, there is no complete immunity to the disease. Vaccines and boosters help lessen the severity of the virus, but people who have gotten all the shots available are still susceptible to catching COVID-19.

According to CNN Health, people who are afflicted by COVID-19 multiple times experience additional symptoms for up to six months after each infection. As the number of times afflicted increases, so do the number of symptoms. 

All of this is to say no one has total immunity to COVID.  Even worse, the idea of emerging “herd immunity” coming true any time soon is far-fetched. This technique of living freely with COVID-19 until everyone becomes “immune” would have been a valid solution to the spread of COVID-19 if immunity to the illness actually existed. However, scientific research opposes this idea and the danger of catching COVID-19 should be taken more seriously. 

The last letter sent to students and parents regarding Inspire PCR testing was dated Aug. 21. Over a month has passed without any information regarding the testing, and it’s quickly being forgotten. 

The school community should start paying more attention to COVID again — as it did in the past — and one of the first steps that the administration should take is to regularly inform the student population about COVID-19 and the testing services. It seems we cared about COVID-19 for only as long as the County Office of Education required schools to do so. Instead, we need to continue increasing awareness about COVID-19 and the various tools that we have access to.

One of the most valuable tools we have continues to be readily available testing. Now it’s up to us to use it again.