While the 5Cs continue to grapple with COVID-19, positive COVID test rates administered by Student Health Services (SHS) are lower this year than last. Some students told TSL they received varying recommendations from SHS when they contracted COVID. SHS told TSL their recommendations follow evolving public health guidance around the virus.
Since the start of the academic year, SHS reported 15 positive COVID results out of 100 students tested through Sept. 25, a 15% positivity rate. Last year, the positivity rate across a similar time period was 19%.
SHS said in a statement to TSL, however, that the figures do not represent all COVID infections across the Claremont Colleges, as many community members self-test.
“Since 2023, many students have shifted to at-home COVID-19 testing and do not report their results to SHS,” SHS wrote. “Testing practices have also changed significantly since 2020, including periods of mandatory testing, making direct comparisons across academic years difficult.”
Addison Bunke SC ’29 scheduled an appointment with SHS during the first week of classes after she started feeling sick and tested positive for COVID on Sept. 4.
“I was shocked that I had it,” Bunke said. “I didn’t really even consider it as an option because I thought it was pretty common to just get a cold, especially [in] the first week of school.”
Bunke said that after testing positive, SHS told her to self-quarantine until she was symptom-free for 24 hours and to wear a mask for four days after that.
Mariel Shuler SC ’28, who tested positive on the morning of Sept. 24, said she used free COVID tests from the Scripps Student Union after feeling sick the evening prior. When she called SHS to ask about COVID protocol, they did not give her any mandatory instructions.
“They were like, ‘there’s pretty much nothing that you need to do. If you have any symptoms, let us know [and] we can help you,’” Shuler said. “It was a lot more chill than I expected.”
Shuler decided to quarantine anyways and did not attend class or social plans until she tested negative.
“No one told me I had to, but I was pretty certain that this is what I am supposed to do,” Shuler said. “People, when they hear that I got COVID, they’re kind of shocked. I think people are a little surprised that it’s still around.”
Shuler called on students to acknowledge illnesses such as COVID and take care of their health.
“I feel like we’re not taking it that seriously,” Shuler said. “Our health is all so interconnected, and physical health is very much so connected to our mental health. [Let’s] take care of everyone.”
Char Miller, a Pomona professor of environmental analysis and history, also tested positive for COVID in the first week of classes. He said falling ill posed challenges to his teaching plans.
“The cancellation was disruptive for me, particularly because I am so wedded to a semester schedule,” Miller said. “But the irony of higher education is that the less time students spend in class, the happier they are.”
He advised students to stay home and take care of themselves if they start feeling sick.
Similarly, SHS encouraged students in their statement to get the current flu and COVID vaccines at SHS or local pharmacies, along with other recommendations.
“Students who are ill are encouraged to stay home when they have a fever, mask when appropriate, test when symptomatic, and contact SHS with questions or if symptoms worsen,” SHS stated. “Students can work with their dean of students and professors on academic accommodations, and SHS can provide documentation when needed.”
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