COVID-19 and a Compromised Immune System

A Saint Joseph’s University senior discusses the challenges and experiences of living on campus with a compromised immune system. She is an RA, living in a freshman dorm, and has to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic with an immune system that is “a bit more vulnerable” than other people. Her experiences have been fearful, but she shares some feelings of hope and encouragement from the SJU community as well.

Start Talking SJU is a social media impact campaign that encourages members of the Saint Joseph’s University community to engage each other by discussing difficult, yet important topics, that are vital for a healthy, open, inclusive campus. Our current topic is Living in Fear, Striving for Hope.

More videos like this one on the topic of Living in Fear, Striking for Hope in 2020 can be found at http://livinginfear.starttalkingsju.com. You can also see our prior campaigns: Attacked (http://attacked.starttalkingsju.com), Belonging (http://belonging.starttalking.com), and Mental Health (http://mentalhealth.starttalking.com).

This video was co-created with the person depicted and/or represented in a story read by another. All persons reviewed and signed consent forms granting permission to share this story online.

If you are experiencing any personal or social effects due to fear on or off campus, the university has resources that can help, including:

The Office of Student Outreach and Support (https://sites.sju.edu/sos/); the SJU COVID website (https://www.sju.edu/hawk-hill-ready); if you are experiencing food insecurity, HawkHub (https://clubs.sju.edu/hawkhubclub); The Bias Activity Review Group, which connects to Public Safety (https://sites.sju.edu/oid/bias/); CAPS (610-660-1090); TitleIX titleIX@sju.edu; REPP (*confidential support) 610-733-9650 (24 hr. Peer Helpline); or SJU Public Safety 610-660-1111.

A complete transcript of the video reads as follows:

[So, I am a senior at Saint Joe’s. I am an RA in a freshman dorm, so I’m in LaFarge this year. I definitely get nervous. So, I have Chrons, which is an autoimmune disease, so that means that I’m a little bit more vulnerable than other people are, and my immune system is a little bit more knocked down. So, that always stresses me out. There’s still always that reminder that, like, as well as we’re doing, one person can get sick, and it get, like maybe only one person sick, or it get like 45 people sick, like you just never know. I hate not being in control, and I think that is my biggest fear or stressor- is like not being in control of what others do. And, I think that that has obviously been exacerbated by, like, corona, and other people reporting it or people thinking that its not that bad. Its something that is lways in the back of my mind. Sometimes, it’s more at the forefront. But, I’m always nervous about getting it because I don’t really know how my body’s going to react to it. Every day I feel like throws me a new curve ball, but today I definitely feel hopeful. And, I mean, everyday there have been people, like- even as small as the comment that they’re not going to see people for, like, a few days before they see me, I’m like “Okay!” You know what I mean? People may not take it seriously for themselves, but they’ll take it seriously for other people.]