Students at West Chicago Community High School indicated they were not well-informed on COVID, nor the current regulations that they need to follow, as of February 2022.

Nurse Cathy Collins-Clarke, who got her bachelor’s from Elmhurst University and her master’s from the University of St. Francis, currently heads up the high school’s nursing program. She received the school nursing license at the University of Illinois at Chicago. According to Collins-Clarke, handwashing and using healthy practices are the best strategies students and staff can use to prevent COVID.

Collins-Clarke said, “It all goes back to let’s wash our hands, let’s not put our fingers in our mouths and touch our eyes, and let’s not sneeze or cough on others.”

Currently, West Chicago Community High School mirrors the Illinois Department of Health and Illinois State Board of Education’s guidelines for K-12 schools. Policies in place at the high school include:

• All students are required to wear a mask on school buses and in the classroom.
• Students with a possible case of COVID-19 must test negative for COVID to return to school OR remain at home for at least 5 days until the symptoms are improving, AND the student is fever free for twenty-four hours.
• If a student develops COVID symptoms at school, the Health Office is able to administer a rapid antigen test for COVID-19 with parent permission.
• The parent/guardian of any student who tests positive for COVID must report the positive test results on the Attendance Line.
• If a fully-vaccinated student comes in contact with a COVID-positive case, they are not considered a close contact and can remain in school.
• A student who is a close contact to a COVID-positive case is and is not fully-vaccinated must isolate and remain out of school for at least 5 days.  They may be asked to produce a negative test upon return.

However, there are exceptions to the state’s current guidelines. Some exceptions “are ridiculous,” said Collins-Clarke. “I really do have to be honest, some of them are ridiculous were one of five or six states that still have kids in masks at school, so the way they do it, let’s say we’re all in the mask at school and you go on a bus, as long as you have one window open nobody is close contact.”

Recently, West Chicago Community High School began testing students and staff for COVID on-site, using the BinaxNOW Rapid COVID testing card. With rapid testing, the room for error may increase. Collins-Clarke said, “IDPH had said to us that the more testing we do, the more false positives will get.”

While students reported familiarity with the requirements put in place at the beginning of the pandemic, when WEGO was hybrid, many were unaware of the most current policies. 

Senior Michelle Tafoya said, “I just know the old rules, I guess, like if you were in contact with someone you will quarantine, or the fact that you have to wear a mask.”

“I haven’t heard any new ones,” said senior Angel Marquez.

Senior Jocelyn Arevalo agreed she was “not that informed.”

The only change freshman Katelyn Columbo was aware of is “that you used to have to quarantine for fourteen days, now it is five.”

Since being back fully in person, students have seen that many gym classes have started swimming again, which has prompted them to question why masks are not required while swimming but are required in the classroom. Students question whether swimming goes against masking rules, or lacks sense during a pandemic.

Tafoya said, “Personally, I don’t know how it can prevent COVID. I mean, water does not prevent COVID, I feel like it’s the same thing as not wearing a mask.”

“I mean I did swimming. I did it, and it was okay, but it did not make sense since we have to wear masks, but in swimming, we don’t,” said Martinez.

Arevalo said, “I do not agree with [swimming] because it does not follow the COVID regulations.”

It is evident there is some confusion as to the policies, which were last updated January 18. Although parents were emailed and texted a copy of the most recent guidelines, many students remain less informed on the school’s COVID regulations.