Following a routine home test, City of Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning, Dec. 21, 2021, and is quarantining at home. He urges Jacksonians “to abide by the citywide mask mandate to limit the spread of the virus and to continue getting the vaccination and booster shot to limit the possibility of serious health effects.”
As COVID cases in Mississippi spiked in April 2020, the negative impact on what was supposed to be one of the happiest years of my life appeared right before my eyes. First, my graduation ceremony was cancelled, and students had to move off campus immediately. This meant goodbye to any senior-year traditions, rushed farewells to my professors, friends and classmates, no more late-night runs to the store with my college friends and definitely a “see you next time” to my twin bed in my dorm. Shortly thereafter, I noticed a change in how my OB-GYN scheduled appointments.
Could it still be possible for someone to sexually assault in the midst of a global pandemic? Could perpetrators that depraved really exist? As I delved into the internet to satiate my curiosity, my supposition was confirmed. In fact, since the pandemic has started, female victims have been locked in with their abusive partners, with no means of escape.
To shine light on why students cheat, we conducted an analysis of 79 research studies and published our findings in the journal Educational Psychology Review. We determined that a variety of motivational factors, ranging from a desire for good grades to a student’s academic confidence, come into play when explaining why students cheat.
Studies show that domestic violence calls to police and shelters in the U.S. have risen between 6% and 21% (variation depending on data source) since the start of the pandemic, with the largest increase happening the first five weeks of quarantine. Calls to shelters and hotlines have also increased.
If you have any symptoms at all, stay home. If you do not have symptoms, then you can start to think about travel for the holidays. Knowing that tests are imperfect, the safest thing you can do is to strictly self-quarantine for 14 days before your visit. Testing can offer a helpful data point, but a quarantine is the more foolproof option.
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