Dear Respiratory Syncytial Virus (or may I call you RSV?),
For almost a month now, rubbish bins around campus have been filled with used tissues, chapel benches have stood empty, and my classes seem to have been getting small and smaller. I’ve been walking around campus with a mysterious cough that keeps clattering in my lungs, and something tickles my throat every morning. I know it’s not COVID-19 because I test regularly, and it’s not the flu because I had that just a couple of weeks ago.
Your mysterious virus is just one among the swirl of diseases attacking Concord Academy students this winter. The confusing and often-bewildering symptoms, coupled with cramped classrooms, poor ventilation, and cold weather, have proven a toxic cocktail. As you probably know, boarding schools are a hotbed for viruses, but I think we can all agree that you’ve overstayed your welcome. With COVID-19, the flu, and the “Phelps Flu” all going around at the same time, we simply don’t have the space for another virus.
After my own health scares this fall—I thought I had mono, strep, severe fall allergies, colds, severe burn-out, and a concussion (and I usually never get sick!)—the last thing I want is to have some RSV hanging out in my lungs. Can you please (PLEASE!) just go away?
Sincerely,
Isabella “Fed-Up Senior” Ginsburg ’23