By Silvia Sanchez Torralba – Three weeks ago Parkland student Jakob Sorkin woke up to a positive COVID-19 result. His roommate recently tested positive, and when Sorkin began to feel ill he self-isolated and took a test. He also let his instructor know of his exposure. Sorkin’s notification set off a chain of events implemented by the College designed to keep other students, staff, and faculty safe.
Sorkin knew how contagious the virus could be and his caution and self-isolation likely spared his classmates and community from any exposure or illness. The day before class he learned of his exposure to his roommate, and he let his instructor know. Sorkin was also feeling the hallmarks of COVID-19: fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath. “I did not feel good at all,” Sorkin said. “I like to work out and [be active], but I had a hard time just getting up and moving around.”
While Sorkin was in self-isolation, his instructor, Aaron Geiger, started the process of informing the COVID-19 Response Team (CRT), since Sorkin was regularly in attendance before his diagnosis. While Sorkin was doing his part and isolating himself, Parkland staff began tracing the people he could have been in contact with. During the time elapsed as well as the recovery process, Sorkin attended class online and stayed out of campus. He also received excused absences without any hassle from the Health and Wellness Center.
The Student Wellness staff members were a great support to Sorkin during this ordeal. He said he was “thrilled with the amount of attention and help” he was given. After informing his instructors, he was contacted by other staff members about the measures he must take. The diagnosis and unpredictable nature of COVID-19 can be a frightening experience that requires a great amount of support and attention. Sorkin said that he found all this in the Parkland community that assisted him from the very first minute. He did not only get help from Parkland College but also from other people who assisted him with groceries and other needs. His professors also played an important role by facilitating the class material and being understanding of Sorkin’s situation.
COVID-19 has taken many lives and permanently marked many others. As of March 19, 2021, there were an estimated 539,000 COVID-related deaths in the United States, with just under 30 million people infected. The main symptoms known so far are fever, fatigue, and shortness of breath, among others. Sorkin said the first six days were the worst days. During this time, he had to fight a high fever, constant body aches, and the overall feeling of sickness. Some symptoms still remain even when the person has fully recovered, and this was another of Sorkin’s fears—the potential long-lasting effects. The media branded these types of patients as “Long Haulers,” and scientists at the National Institutes of Health call the long-term effects of the coronavirus Post-Acute Sequelae of Covid-19 (PASC). The Center for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that even young adults with no history of chronic disease may not recover in the expected period of 14-21 days, and some will experience the effects in the following years. Only time will tell if Sorkin will be permanently affected by these. Yet, he was lucky he was not a high-risk patient. As of right now, he feels fully recovered and is glad to be back in the classroom.
Although many restrictions have been lifted in Illinois, the pandemic is rebounding to its highest levels yet, which includes new records for infections and hospitalizations in Illinois. The United States still leads the world with the highest number of cases. Sorkin’s social responsibility and Parkland’s staff practicing contact tracing stopped many other people from potentially getting the disease. Following the guidelines drafted by the CDC and Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), Sorkin and Geiger, and the CRT, quickly acted to stop or slow the spread of the virus. Contact tracing, a strong support network, and flexibility are measures helping to keep the numbers of infected down while students continue to pursue their studies. Standing or sitting at least six feet apart while wearing a face mask that covers the nose and mouth are critical to mitigating the spread of the virus.
If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19, or if you are exhibiting symptoms such as a dry cough, high fever, aches and pains, and difficulty breathing, you can take a test at any number of locations in Champaign-Urbana. Results can be returned in as little as a day, with average results taking 2-3 days. Please be sure to self-isolate yourself and contact a Parkland College staff or faculty member in order to start the process of contact tracing and receiving support. For questions on how to report, contact wellnesscenter@parkland.edu. You can also learn more about COVID-19 and Parkland College through the COVID-19 Dashboard at http://parkland.edu/coviddashboard.
Governor Pritzker, through the Illinois Department of Public Health, made a public declaration that around April 12 all Illinois residents ages 16 and older will be eligible for one of the three available vaccine types.
