Written by Abby Chadwick, Illustration by Sian Rips
For the past year and a half, it has been said more times than we can count that the times we are living in are “unprecedented.” However, things are starting to seem like normal, and with classes resuming on campus, our lives are beginning to look a little more pre-pandemic once again. But, to keep up this “precedented-ness,” the right precautions have to be taken. We now know the measures to take against contracting COVID-19—sanitize your workspace, wear your mask at all times, get weekly testing done if you aren’t already vaccinated, etc. But, the procedures become a little bit more blurry when the question arises of “What happens if I do catch the virus?”
In order to keep yourself and SCAD up to date on any possible symptoms of COVID-19 you may be experiencing, it is important to fill out the daily health checks sent to your SCAD email. If you do find yourself exhibiting any of these symptoms or if you think that you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should get tested as soon as possible (even if you are fully vaccinated). For the Savannah campus, there is testing at Oglethorpe House, and for the Atlanta campus, in the testing trailer at 1600 Peachtree. Both run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are open Friday–Saturday and Monday–Tuesday. Results for both locations should be expected around 30 minutes after testing.
It would also be useful to familiarize yourself with the difference between quarantine and isolation. Quarantine is for any asymptomatic person who has been in contact with a COVID-positive person or has traveled to an area that had a COVID-19 outbreak. Isolation is for anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19. If either of these procedures becomes necessary, the Dean of Students Office and the Office of Residence Life and Housing should be notified to implement a plan. Contract tracing will be put into action, suitemates and roommates will be notified and recommended for testing and residence life and housing staff will assist you in moving to an isolation or quarantine area. Dining services, health services and academic support will all be provided in cases of both isolation and quarantine.
Jasmine Dauderman, a second-year Film and Television student, spoke about her experiences as a SCAD student amidst the pandemic. She says “This is the first year I’ve been doing everything. I’m just trying to hang out with smaller groups of people…just trying to stay more outside versus inside. Being an RA has definitely got me really involved. We’re trying to run events and stuff like that.”
Ainsley Franklin, also a Film and Television student, talked about her experiences, as well. “This is my first year in college. I’m a freshman, so I don’t really know what a normal college experience is,” she said. “I’m trying to make friends and meet people while also keeping in mind that COVID still exists. I haven’t had any situations [at SCAD] though where I thought ‘This doesn’t feel safe.’”
For the most up-to-date information about SCAD’s policies visit their COVID-19 homepage.
