Thirty confirmed cases of coronavirus in Kenosha County, almost 1,300 in state: Students react to school closings

The Pulse staff

As of March 30, almost 1,300 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Wisconsin, including 30 cases in Kenosha County and 26 in Racine County. The state Department of Health Services has reported 23 deaths in the state due to the virus.  

Kenosha is one of three counties in the state where health officials say community spread is happening, which means the people who tested positive here have had unknown exposure to the virus. They have not traveled to a location where there is community transmission, and they weren’t near anyone known to be infected, Wisconsin Department of Health Services officials stated.

Due to the growing number of confirmed cases of the virus, Tony Evers, Wisconsin’s governor, closed all Kenosha Unified, Racine Unified, and Milwaukee public schools as of March 16. Kenosha and Racine  are expected to reopen on April 6, unless otherwise notified by the governor’s office, while Milwaukee will reopen April 14.

“I think that out of all the possible solutions available, closing all K-12 schools is probably one of the best options. Statistics have been showing that areas that implement these measures are much better off than areas that don’t,” said Ian Metzger, senior.

“I think it’s great that schools in Wisconsin are closed due to the virus, especially considering the domino effect of how it can get passed,” said Olivia Davis, sophomore.

Following these cancelations, many events at Indian Trail were also postponed, from music performances to athletics, affecting many students throughout the school.

“My piano recital was canceled, my solo ensemble event, my choir concert at Carthage, my FCCLA competition and my trip to Spain is either being rescheduled if they can figure out a time or we lose $3,500. My mom is also going so we paid $7,000 but the travel insurance doesn’t cover a pandemic disease or a virus, there’s no insurance company that will ever cover this,” said Taylor Wimberly, a general studies senior. 

The students also stated how they are worried about teachers not getting paid during this epidemic. Furthermore, they are concerned about classes moving online and their peers.

“I feel that it is going to be a little more difficult trying to learn new materials from our teachers because of them not physically being there to answer questions students may have,” said Nathan Klimisch, senior.

“Students who depend on school as their main, or only source of food may be out of meals during this time. I’m not sure if there has been, or will be a system put in place to address these issues, but my heart goes out to the students, parents, and people most affected by this situation,” said Joseph White, a Med-Sci senior.

The U.S. Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States health agency that works to protect the U.S. from any national or international health threats stated, “Older adults and people who have severe underlying chronic medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.”

Due to the impact that coronavirus has on people with severe respiratory and health issues and the older generations, health officials urge everyone to do their part to stop the spread of the virus since it is contagious especially when people are in close contact―about 6 feet apart― and through respiratory droplets from the coughs or sneezes of people infected that land on the mouths or noses or are inhaled by others nearby.

The symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and they will show themselves 2-14 days after being exposed.

The best way to prevent it is to avoid exposure, wash hands for 20 seconds, don’t touch the mouth, nose, and eyes, cover any coughs or sneezes, clean commonly touched surfaces regularly and most importantly stay home if you’re feeling sick.

Although the negative effects of COVID-19 are still being felt throughout Wisconsin and the rest of the world, students at Indian Trail are trying to keep a positive mind and help out the community.

“All we can really do now is stay calm and try to stay safe. I’m praying for our nation and world during this time of uncertainty,” said White.

Written by Yessica Banda and Stephany Mandujano.  Reporting contributed by Kaden West, Wyatt Garlow, Yessica Banda, and Ariel Lopez.