The last time the world saw a pandemic of this magnitude was over 100 years ago, the 1918 Spanish Flu. The ramifications of this virus are far-reaching, so it is everybody’s job to do their part in prevention and recovery in order to mitigate the effect of the virus. Nurse Erin Krantz has outlined personal ways that everybody can stay physically and mentally healthy during this stressful time. Regarding measures that students should be taking to stay physically healthy in school, Krantz had several suggestions.  

“Wear your mask or face covering, use proper hand washing… [and] cover coughs and sneezes. Don’t share items.” She also encourages students to “obey distancing guidelines when it is feasible. Try to get outside to have better ventilation when and if [the situation allows],” says Krantz.  

Because the rate of transmission is low outside as long as a safe distance is kept, stepping out to get a breath of fresh air is a nice change if the school day is spent indoors. 

 Krantz also stresses that students “stay home when it’s appropriate: if you feel sick, stay home.”  

This rule is the most important, as coming to school with symptoms runs a high risk of infecting and potentially endangering others. Following these rules at school and being sensible around others will create a safer environment for everybody.  

Another important way of boosting personal immunity is exercise.  

“Exercise can help flush bacteria from the lungs and airway – which is especially important right now,” says Krantz, who affirms the idea that high school students should be getting a fair amount of exercise every week.  She also mentions that “doctors recommend that teens age 13 to 18 get at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity most days of the week.” 

Putting in some extra effort to keep physical health up can “reduce the risk of illness from things like the flu or a cold,” says Krantz. 

Several easy ways of getting exercise include running, playing sports, and lifting weights. If just starting out, talk to a personal trainer or fitness coach to formulate a plan. Don’t be too stressed about meeting the 60 minute a day limit at first.  

Krantz says that just “[getting] 30 to 60 minutes a day, three or four days a week” is a good start. 

Physical health is important, but mental health should also be held to the same regard.  

“Stress, disrupted routines, cabin fever, lack of social contact, and reduced physical activity due to coronavirus can all impact your mental health,” says Krantz.  

For now, she has several suggestions for students to stay mentally healthy until the restrictions are lifted.  

“Journal writing, maintaining social connections, monitoring media consumption... [getting] adequate sleep and [keeping] a healthy diet” are several relaxing pastimes recommended by Krantz for mental health upkeep. 

“At some point restrictions will end, and many of the issues you’re stressing out about right now won’t be problems anymore” says Krantz. 

 Although the pandemic is incredibly stressful, she urges students to acknowledge that the situation won’t last forever. Staying mentally healthy through relaxing processes that can take the mind away from stress remains a key factor in making the most out of quarantine. 

The situation may be horrible, but it does not prevent most people from staying physically and mentally healthy. Following the measures listed above, any student can keep their health in check through the pandemic and emerge from quarantine a better person than before.