Barnard students share their tips for a healthier winter season
Following months of precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing contagion rates, the oncoming winter season reminds students to care for their health.
Photography by Emma-Caroline Avery/The Barnard Bulletin
By Nilla Wahab
October 27, 2024
On September 19, the Barnard community received an email from the Health and Wellness Team featuring updates on campus health. Alongside a report on high rates of COVID-19 and reminders to get vaccinated for the flu, the email included information on one confirmed case of pertussis, also known as “whooping cough.”
This highly contagious disease is rare; however, with recent trends in New York City, it is not unexpected. Following the pandemic, rates of whooping cough have increased 340% in the past month, with New York reporting more than 1,200 new cases.
As the numbers continue to fluctuate, the Health and Wellness Team encourages students to watch for new emails. “We are committed to keeping the community informed and sharing updates when we observe an increase in positive test reports or rising cases within our community,” said LeFrak Center Executive Director April Autry. “We continue closely monitoring the situation and collaborating with public health experts to guide our response.”
Barnard students have sustained new practices to keep themselves healthy amidst the threat of the spread. For Taahirah Munro (BC’25), hand sanitizer is essential. “In public spaces, when you’re eating and resting, be careful what you touch,” Munro said. “You should carry it around with you to keep your hands clean.”
Students have also maintained standard practices from the pandemic to stay healthy. “I take allergy medicines and mask up whenever I feel myself getting sick,” said Tvisha Agarwal (BC’28).
Others, like Nadia Fisch (BC’28), focus on keeping themselves physically healthy. “Working out leads to a healthier immune system.” A 2019 study shows that moderately intense exercises such as long walks increase the circulation of white blood cells throughout the body, thoroughly preparing it for infection risks.
However, due to strict attendance policies, many students may not risk taking a day of absence, especially as midterm exams begin.“It’s a bit overwhelming to look at the syllabi and see classes that require updates on absence a week before,” Lindsay Sherpa (BC’27) said. “When I’m sick, I don’t really plan for it, and I don’t want to harm my attendance grades as my midterm comes up.”
Autry, however, encourages students to stay at home and “reach out to their academic dean or the Deans' Office for Advising and Support for guidance on managing their coursework during periods of illness or with general questions or concerns.”
Barnard’s newly elected Representative for Health Services, Farhana Zane (BC '28), offers new measures to counteract the spread and provide students with more convenient care. Among them is a proposal that streamlines student access to Barnard’s primary care service, PCHS.
“As of now, students can’t access PCHS without scheduling an appointment, which can be inconvenient,” Zane said. “To make the process easier, I plan to institute a new ‘Urgent Care’ system that allows students to walk in and receive care fast.”
Students who think they may have whooping cough, COVID-19, or the flu should get tested immediately and begin social distancing. For convenience, masks and COVID-19 tests are available for $4 in the Hewitt Hall Lobby vending machine. Resources like symptomatic evaluations, testing, and immunizations can be found at PCHS, on the lower level of Brooks Hall. Its operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. only via appointment. Both PCHS and an after-hours triage nurse are accessible by calling 212-854-2091.