As we enter into the fall and winter months, illnesses are beginning to surge, and covid-19 is no different. Covid has remained a current and ever-looming threat for many people, but for those whose concerns have fallen to the wayside, a new surge has brought the virus back to the forefront of their minds.

Although the omicron variant of covid is no longer circulating, subvariants of omicron have been in circulation since September 2023. According to The New York Times’ daily covid outbreak tracker, Pennsylvania saw 224 hospitalizations since the latest outbreaks in early August and roughly 18 deaths per week from Aug. 27-Sept. 2. In other words, covid has never truly gone away.

While St. Joe’s retired its covid dashboard in fall 2022, we can say with certainty that general sickness on college campuses is unavoidable given the close proximity of students when quartering in residence halls and attending campus-wide events. As college students are more susceptible to catching these viruses in this environment, protecting ourselves and our fellow Hawks from illnesses like covid is absolutely crucial.

So, what is the most effective strategy for preventing covid and this new variant from spreading? We advise anyone who is eligible for but has not yet received all necessary vaccinations and boosters to do so to minimize the spread of the disease. We additionally encourage proper hygiene, which includes routinely washing your hands and courteously covering your mouth if you need to cough. And, most importantly, we suggest staying at home if you’re feeling unwell, especially if you test positive for covid! If you do end up testing positive, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests at least 5 days of quarantining — possibly longer, depending on how the virus affects you.

So, Hawks, keep healthy! And do your part to protect yourselves and others from this most recent covid outbreak.