Has your throat been feeling sore? Have you recently sneezed or coughed in class, and everyone turned around to look at you? Well, if I’m going to be honest, (before you even answer), I’m almost positive this has happened to you because of the sickness that has been going around, slowly infecting Royals one by one. The Class of 2026 has already been at risk of extinction due to our current struggle of not being able to get out of bed (senioritis), so this sickness, also known as influenza B, is really taking a toll on the Royal community.
It all started when I was sitting in AP Lit (a class with the students I depend most on to be at school), and the room seemed a little too empty. Seniors Delilah Moos, Soph Barrera and many others were nowhere to be found. This event led to me doing some further research, all to find out that they were at home with a fever.
I continued on with my day and soon found out Bella Luciano ‘26 was also not at school, but at home sick. Bella shares, “It was the worst two months of my life, I truly would not wish it upon anyone. I also ate about 12 popsicles a day.” Wow, I really hope my illness doesn’t last that long, although eating that many popsicles doesn’t sound too bad. This is when my nerves regarding if I would get sick began to arise. As a result of my “weak immune system,” Ms. B ’16, my amazing journalism teacher loves to refer to me as a Victorian child. Although, truthfully, it has always been good, but something has been up this year, and I have constantly been sick.
Once Friday finally hit, I thought I was safe (boy was I wrong). To celebrate, I went to a concert Saturday night, only to wake up with the sickness. I was distraught and did not know what to do. I thought I got past the strange illness unscathed, but it got me. The first few days were not bad: I still went to school, worked out and could talk. As the week went on, I would wake up worse every morning and sometimes in the middle of the night, unable to breathe through my nose or with an urge to cough.
Emma Lugo ’28 explained her experience with the illness: “Being sick is horrible, especially at school. I ten out of ten do NOT recommend getting it.” I would have to agree– being sick at school is totally not fun. I think I went through an entire box of tissues in one hour last week.
Overall, be safe and take as many ginger shots and vitamins as possible. I would do anything to feel better, but instead I am sitting in bed, coughing while trying to write my article. I’m really wishing I got my flu shot right about now.
