DeMatha’s Ongoing COVID-19 Response: A Job in Itself

Ever since COVID-19 shut down the world in March of 2020, we’ve had to change our lives. From wearing masks constantly to socially distancing in public, staying in quarantine, and getting vaccinated, the process to keep the population safe and healthy against the virus has been long and arduous.

DeMatha has been no exception to this trend. Faculty, staff, and students are working together to mitigate the spread of the virus since we’ve officially returned to in-person learning. These efforts are not easy, but do result in the DeMatha community remaining healthy and connected.

Mr. Edward King, the athletic director for DeMatha, has constantly been on top of reducing the virus’s spread. Describing how it has impacted his job, he said that “COVID-19 is a job in itself.” Making sure that guidelines are being followed while keeping healthy has been extremely time consuming for him. Ms. Wendy Norris, a member of the athletic training team at DeMatha, had to change everything about how she did her job. There were often times where she had to think outside the box to develop procedures and protocols that would keep everyone safe. In talking about her job, she said the pandemic “changed it completely.”

In addition to this, the constantly changing protocols by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, have been challenging to keep up with. For example, just as DeMatha was set to return from winter break, the previous recommended time for self-isolating in the case of a positive test was reduced from 10 days to 5 days, including those who are asymptomatic. Ms. Norris added that it was challenging to follow the guidelines, especially for the sports teams when they traveled. Following the different levels of jurisdiction with the guidelines, with the CDC, state governments, and local counties all having different rules, proved to be difficult.

Mr. King said that adapting his job and how he works to fit the CDC guidelines was an additional challenge. Along with needing all athletes to be vaccinated, the schedules for the various sports at DeMatha have had to be re-tooled, along with the normal school schedule. Ms. Norris said that her job had been impacted quite a bit. She described the balance as 70% of her work being COVID-related, with the other 30% being standard athletic things.

This is not the only issue, however. The attendance for sports games, a big part of DeMatha’s identity, have also had to be changed. The number of spectators allowed was lowered, and in some cases restricted.

In early 2020, the virus hit the country relatively quickly, forcing the DeMatha administration to find ways to keep everyone healthy. Mr. King said that they began by following the “typical CDC protocols,” which included wearing gloves and masks. This was not an easy task, though, as many supplies had to be bought. Gloves, disinfectant, sanitizers, purifiers, and misters for the classrooms and the weight room all had to be purchased and distributed. The signs on the various stairwells at DeMatha all had to be printed and placed with thought put on how to reduce the spread of the virus. In short, a good amount of money was spent making sure the student body could be safe at the school.

Another precaution Mr. King and the faculty had to face were the social distancing guidelines. To get around this issue, a grid was created out of PVC pipes, with 6 feet spaces between each square on the grid. The grid would be put into classrooms, and the chairs and desks for the students would be placed into the grid. Mr. King said that many of these precautions were not noticed by students due to the number of them studying through virtual means.

Now that the various COVID-19 variants are spreading, such as the Delta and Omicron variants, steps are being taken to mitigate the spread of the virus. One such method is weekly COVID tests. Students and faculty are all required to be tested for the virus at some point during the week, with those testing negative able to remain in in-person classes while those who test positive isolate for the recommended time period. Mr. King says these tests have “really helped out,” and that it’s a good way to keep the DeMatha community safe. Ms. Norris, additionally, urged people to get vaccinated, which can help with lowering case numbers and returning school to a somewhat normal state.

COVID-19 has been taking a huge toll on many people. Mr. King, in talking about the situation, hopes that the whole situation will change in the near future.