As the new year begins, students, faculty and staff alike excitedly enter a new era of learning. The Biden Administration as well as state and local governments have declared the pandemic to be over, but St. Lawrence University, like many places around the United States, is now suddenly seeing a resurgence in the COVID-19 virus. While there is no publicly available data tracking the numbers, the reappearance of masks as well as other cautionary practices popping up around campus makes it evident that COVID-19 is on the rise.  

After the first week of campus activities, classes, and social gatherings such as raft day, COVID-19 is spreading like wildfire around the campus community. Bailey Webster ’25 is a student who tested positive in this new era of COVID-19. Her opinion echoes that of many of her classmates: having COVID-19 on campus is still a major setback to our shared learning experience.   

A multitude of faculty, staff and students have now recently been exposed to or infected with the COVID-19 virus, an experience that Bailey has called “an extremely disruptive and poorly timed occurrence.” Not only is Bailey sick from COVID-19, but she has also stated that it has “impacted my work, school and social life.” Having COVID-19 now is disruptive to student and worker lives, with setbacks coming with the return of illnesses. This has caused multiple students to already feel as though they are falling behind in classes and missing work, as well as the chance to connect with their fellow Laurentians.   

This loss in class and work time has already seen negative effects on campus. While speaking to Webster, she said, “instructors and fellow coworkers are also infected, creating stress and anxiety for those who have to fill in for all missing people.” This stress is unneeded and something Webster does not want to see in the campus community.  

This spread of COVID-19 is no surprise to many across the United States as a new variant of COVID-19 known as EG.5, nicknamed Eris, has quickly become the predominant strain across the nation. According to Yale Medicine Eris is currently the dominant Covid-19 variant in the United States and has infected more people than any other single strain. Eris is a descendant of the earlier Omicron variants we had previously experienced throughout the country.   

It is too early to know the severity of this strain, but new vaccination boosters will be out soon to combat this, as well as other variants of the virus. For now, what we do know is that if you are feeling sick, for the sake of your classmates and community at large, get tested and try to combat this new rise in COVID-19.