‘I Will Not Allow Myself to be the Reason My Loved Ones Get Sick’

On March 9, University of New Haven students were informed that we would need to evacuate the campus due to the coronavirus global pandemic. The news came as a shock to most of us. In fact, some were even excited to hear that we would have an extra week off before our much-anticipated spring break. I admit, I was one of these people. I was excited at first, but soon, I realized the daunting reality of the situation at hand.

COVID-19 has put a lot of my life into perspective. My first year of college was going better than I could have ever hoped, until it was cut short and we began learning remotely. This is absolutely the best course of action in order to help slow the spread of the virus that has claimed far too many lives, but at the time of this decision, I didn’t yet understand the severity of the problem.

Soon after I arrived home from college, high schools started to implement remote learning, but this was only projected to last for a few weeks. Then the thing everyone dreaded came true: in-person learning was now being delayed further and further into the year.

By the middle of March, the University informed all students that we would not be returning during the spring semester, and that we would soon be receiving information about moving out of our rooms on campus. I cried that night more than I cried the day my parents dropped me off on Move-In Day. I felt like the thing that I truly loved and worked so hard for was ripped right out of my hands, until I stepped back and looked at the big picture.

First responders are now using our residence halls on campus for housing so they can stay healthy and do their important jobs every day. Nurses and doctors are on the front lines, treating patients instead of staying with their families in the safety of their own homes. I was so pleased to hear that even though I cannot be there on campus to enjoy the room I loved so much, that it would be going to good use and possibly helping to save lives.

I have chosen to stay in and keep my distance from the public for the people who bravely fight the pandemic and aren’t able to be home with their families, for the elderly and infants, and for whomever else may be negatively impacted by this virus because of health challenges, such as autoimmune disorders.

While I am bored at times, would it really be worth it for me to have a few hours of fun with my friends if I could possibly bring COVID-19 home to my healthy family? No. I have learned to not be selfish during this quarantine, and I have decided I will not allow myself to be the reason my loved ones get sick.

Brooke Ross ’23 is a dental hygiene major from Hudson, New Hampshire. She is a student in the University of New Haven’s School of Health Sciences. This reflection was completed as part of the “Caught in the Pandemic” project in the Principles of Communication course being taught by Alvin Tran, ScD, MPH, health administration and policy professor.

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