During the first three weeks of the school year, there were 75 reported cases of COVID-19, according to Director of Medical Services Bryant Benson.
In accordance with CDC guidelines, students who test positive self-isolated for at least five days. Asymptomatic patients were allowed to quarantine in their rooms, while symptomatic patients quarantined in the Health Center. This marks a shift from previous years in which COVID positive students quarantined at home, in the Health Center, at the Deerfield Inn, or other surrounding hotels in the area. Day students continued to isolate at home.
According to Dr. Benson, allowing asymptomatic patients to isolate in their rooms has been more effective than protocols in previous years. Dr. Benson emphasized that various stakeholders on campus are involved in responding to a positive case, including the dining hall, security, the deans, and custodial services.
“The isolation is still the same… but the in-room isolation has become incredibly helpful for our students in terms of allowing them to not have to be in the Health Center,” Dr. Benson said. This policy has also reduced, though not eliminated, the numbers of students returning home to quarantine.
Greta Trapp ’25 offered a student perspective on in-room quarantining, saying, “It was really hard staying in my room and trying to keep up with classes while I was sick, but the Health Center was great about giving us food and snacks when we missed meals.”
Green Guo ’24, a four year senior who was here during Deerfield’s pandemic protocol in 20192020, said she had never had COVID19 before this year. She thought she just had a cold, but tested positive for COVID19 at the Health Center. She was then put in a room with Tessa Bracken ’24 and stayed in the Health Center for two days. She was able to isolate in her room for the next three days, and she felt the change from staying in the Health Center to her room made her experience with COVID19 easier.
Agreeing with Guo’s statement on quarantining in the Health Center versus in the dorms, Aye Woghiren ’25 said, “Zooming into my classes was quite difficult because it’s hard to focus when I was sick and trapped in my room. The Health Center is a unique experience because they are trying to take care of everyone and they give you three meals a day, medicine, extra snacks, and let you take as many walks as needed.”
In response to the newly approved booster for COVID19, the Health Center will provide an on-campus vaccination clinic starting October 26. “The vaccine is strongly recommended but not required by the Academy for students,” Dr. Benson said. However, he added that he hopes students will take advantage of the free and accessible clinic administered by Walgreens. In addition, the Health Center will offer a separate flu clinic in the dining hall for students on October 15, as well as another opportunity later in the month.