President Joe Biden told CBS 60 Minutes Reporter, Scott Pelley, that “the Pandemic is over.” However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the daily average for new cases identified is around 44,000.
The University of North Georgia is one of many colleges that removed mask mandates and social distancing rules as of May 2021. With COVID-19 numbers not being as high as they were in the past, UNG has continuously changed their policies based on CDC guidelines.
COVID-19 cases aren’t as outstanding as they were at the start of the pandemic, but it is still important to know how hospitals dealing with the virus. Hector Aguirre, Nurse at Northeast Georgia Health System in Gainesville, says, “COVID-19 cases are treated based on the severity of signs and symptoms. Those with co-morbidities tend to present with more severe symptoms, [and] are more likely to require hospitalization.”
Aguirre believes that COVID-19 has died down since “late 2021”. “Not because of the amount of people getting COVID-19, but because it has become like a seasonal pattern.”, He says. Throughout this year, he has noticed a decrease in COVID-19 numbers. They are sporadic when it comes to an “influx of positive cases and hospitalizations.”
Regarding the vaccine, Aguirre says it should be a decision that the population should make with their providers. “…since this is a vaccine with weaning efficacy and cannot really be called a true immunization, as we do not become immune. Over and over, I had to explain to elderly patients, why they were getting admitted due to COVID-19 pneumonia. Because of their disbelief of their diagnosis, due to having followed recommendations for vaccinations.”, he said.
UNG students like Allison Greene, a nursing major, agree with Aguirre that the pandemic is dying down. Greene doesn’t feel the need to wear a mask unless she is asked to “wear one in a public place or at an event where it’s mandatory.” However, there are those who still are weary when it comes to their safety against viruses.
Tolindra Collins, a Communications major, states, “I do not feel safe at school because I know that the virus is still very much active even with people vaccinated and many who are not vaccinated still walking around campus.”
“The pandemic will never be over because you can’t get rid of a virus that continuously modifies itself to stay alive in a population of people.” –Tolindra Collins a, Senior Communications Major at UNG
Collins expresses that she still chooses to wear face masks in public, “…especially since it’s more variants coming out and I got covid last week and I never want it again.”
For more information on COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or UNG’s Health Services.
