Although a large number of people in the United States may believe that COVID-19 is no longer a threat, it remains the third leading cause of death in the country, according to the CDC. Now that the CDC guidelines have changed to only require people to stay home “until their symptoms improve” or they are fever-free for 24 hours, students and faculty who are at high risk of severe illness are left with little to no options.

On March 1, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced that it would adopt the new CDC guidelines for respiratory illnesses. This puts COVID in the same category as the flu in that infected people would need to take before returning to everyday activities, but people should take it more seriously and stay home if they are experiencing symptoms.

I believe that everyone wants COVID to be over. I know how difficult it is to continue to contend with a deadly virus day after day, but it’s here to stay. When we act like life is back to normal, when we continue to go about every day as we did before we had ever heard of the virus, we put ourselves and those around us in danger and ultimately prolong the time it will take before we can truly go back to normal.

The CDC decision to shorten the COVID isolation period increases the risk of severe illness for everyone, not only people who are immunocompromised. According to the IDPH, “the new guidance focuses on protecting those most at risk of serious illness.” It also states that people who test positive for COVID are no longer required to isolate for a minimum of five days. These two statements cannot coexist.

At Augie, students often show up to class coughing, sneezing or generally unwell. Most of the time, these students do not choose to wear a mask to protect those around them. However, in past semesters, students who tested positive for COVID were required to contact Public Safety and isolate for a minimum of five days.

If the majority of students followed these guidelines, this could greatly reduce the risk of transmission to peers and make classes more accessible to everyone.

I reached out to the Dean of Students office to learn more about how Augie is choosing to proceed with the new CDC and IDPH guidelines but have not received a response. Contact tracing became a thing of the past after the spring of 2023, leaving students and faculty with no way of knowing whether or not they are exposed unless the person with COVID reaches out.

With the removal of existing guidelines, everyone is at risk. The National Library of Medicine found that nearly 65 million people worldwide suffer from long COVID, a term that refers to various health issues that affect multiple organ systems and result from an initial COVID infection. Anyone can get long COVID, regardless of prior health, and each additional COVID infection increases your risk of developing long COVID, according to a study from the University of Nebraska Medicine.

Regardless of guidelines, if you are sick, stay home or wear a well-fitting mask. Out of respect for yourself and those around you, make informed decisions. Be the reason someone is more comfortable, not less. Augustana is a community, and it’s time we acted like one.