Nandini Dasari

Sophomore Surya Dasari stands masked outside of his first period classroom. Although the number of students wearing masks has significantly declined since the peak of the COVID pandemic, some students have brought them back out at the start of the school year. “I have seen people in class wearing masks to prevent spread. I’m not sure whether this is because those people are sick or they are just trying to prevent getting infected themselves,” one senior said.

Upon first glance, the virus that recently decimated countries worldwide is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Computer generated images of SARS-CoV-2 reveal a glowing, multicolored sphere that more closely resembles a Christmas tree ornament than a highly infectious microbe. Perhaps paralleling its misleading appearance, the spread of COVID-19 was a largely unanticipated event, effectively shutting down countries around the world for months. Though COVID is not nearly as threatening as it was in March 2020, a recent uptick in cases has raised concern among several school districts across the country as students head back to school. In Texas, new COVID-19 hospital admissions totalled 1,918 the week of Sept. 2, up drastically from the summer’s low of 422 during the week of June 24. 

During the month of August, three school districts – two in Kentucky and one in southern Texas – implemented up to week-long in-person closures, citing an increase in respiratory illnesses and a drop in attendance. However, it seems the new wave has not yet affected students and staff in Lewisville ISD, where COVID protocol remains unchanged. 

FM9 nurse Sara Swanson explained COVID is currently “treated like any other droplet virus,” such as those that cause the common cold, flu, and strep throat. At present, LISD mandates that students who are fever-free without dependency on fever-reducing medications are permitted to return to school.

LISD’s lenient protocol is reflective of the general trend in COVID cases seen in the school district since March of 2020. FMHS nurse Krista Nalodka mentioned that apart from a brief spike in cases in Jan. 2022, when the district faced week-long in-person school closures, cases have decreased overall. Nalodka said that the isolation period for those exposed to COVID mirrors this decrease in cases, growing progressively shorter from 14 days to ten, five, and finally zero.

Currently, case numbers at FMHS appear to be relatively low. According to Swanson, only four students among the roughly 900 within the freshmen class are out with COVID. Swanson explained that case numbers at FMHS are well below the threshold needed to warrant a school closure, at least in the near future.

However, despite the absence of an obvious COVID surge at school, some students seem to have already begun taking preventative measures, such as wearing masks, to reduce their chance of infection. Their wariness may stem from the commotion brought by a rise in cases among other areas of the country.

“I’ve been hearing that COVID is coming back, which makes me worried that 2020 may repeat itself,” senior Leonardo Redding said.

Conversely, other students describe a sense of “normalcy” for the first time since 2020, noting the lack of strict COVID protocol that had characterized the peak of the COVID pandemic. 

“I do not think COVID has impacted our classroom settings this school year because there are no required mandates anymore regarding masks, social distancing, or quarantine protocols,” one senior said.

COVID seems more and more like a relic of the past to most students, as school activities have resumed this year in a pre-pandemic manner. COVID no longer seems as pressing and significant in the school setting.

“On most days, I forget COVID even happened because it just doesn’t feel as relevant anymore,” senior Megan Zhao said.

Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether COVID will indeed become simply a moment in history. Though the recent surge in cases is evident, its cause remains ambiguous. The uptake of at-home testing, emergence of new variants, and removal of state requirements to report case numbers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made COVID difficult to track. In the coming weeks, LISD officials will be closely monitoring Denton County and CDC directives for suggested changes to the district’s COVID protocol.