The Current State of Covid

Alice McGuire

Deputy Editor

Though fall is here, Washtenaw County continues to experience the impacts of an unusually high summer wave of COVID-19.

According to Susan Ringler-Cerniglia, the Public Information Officer for Washtenaw County Health Department, while rates of “new cases, hospitalizations, outbreaks reported and wastewater” continue to trend in the wrong direction, one positive statistic is the rising number of Washtenaw County residents who have acquired the most recent vaccine.

“If you haven’t had a recent infection with covid, you probably haven’t had a vaccine in quite a long time, right? So for most people, like, my opinion, would be, if you haven’t been vaccinated in a while, go ahead and get that updated one because there is local activity happening, and we are starting into the wintertime,” said Ringer-Cerniglia.

Henry Sincic, an undecided student with an interest in journalism, found the news about the current spike a “bit scary,” but he found it checked out as he had heard of more people contracting Covid in recent weeks, especially after traveling.

Though his memory is a bit of a blur from the personal and collective trauma of the early years of the pandemic, Sinic still clearly remembers the feeling of invincibility that came from his first round of vaccines.

“It felt like a layer of armor,” he said. “Like man, I feel so much more protected, you know. Maybe something will come along to break the armor, but I’m good for a while.”

Sinic could not remember when his last booster had been, but he was glad to know that an updated version had been released.

“I can only control what I do and–to some extent–I can advise people around me about what to do. Quarantine if you’re feeling sick, take a covid test, you know–all that sort of stuff. Make sure you’re up to date on your booster shots, I don’t know. But there’s a certain point I feel like, you know, how much control does an individual really have?” Sinic said.

Kaleb Wieland, a journalism major, found his current concerns gravitating to the mental health impacts of the pandemic and stressed the importance of continued social interaction to our collective wellbeing, saying “It’s unlikely we could survive without such a diverse community.”

There are, however, some new obstacles when it comes to ensuring the general public is vaccinated. In addition to no longer being free without insurance, the Bridge Access Program which exists to cover the gap for uninsured patients effectively ceased running before the latest vaccine had been widely distributed in Michigan.

For those without insurance, the Washtenaw County Health Department does offer free COVID-19 vaccines, but supplies are limited and patients should call ahead to ensure that they are available. There is also a Vaccines for Children program.

“There’s no free vaccine anymore, and people that are in need may still be able to get it, but it’s going to be harder, and it’s going to be at a loss to providers like safety net providers and health departments,” said Ringler-Cerniglia, who went on to stress the importance of updated vaccines to college students who hope to get through the term while spending as little time sick as possible.

The Washtenaw County Health Department can be contacted at (734) 544-6700.

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