should you write your college essay about covid

What are your chances of acceptance?

Calculate for all schools, your chance of acceptance.

Your chancing factors

Extracurriculars.

Should You Write Your College Essay About Coronavirus?

Wondering what topic to choose for your college essay? With the current coronavirus pandemic impacting lives and livelihoods worldwide, it’s no surprise that high school students are considering this subject for their essays. But is it a good idea to write about COVID-19?

Keep reading to learn the purpose of the college essay, whether you should write about the coronavirus, and tips on selecting a topic that will give you the best shot at success.

What is the Purpose of College Essays?

It’s not enough to boast strong grades and SAT scores in selective college admissions. If you want to make the best impression on admissions committees, writing a stellar college essay is essential. Along with demonstrating your writing skills, a standout college essay showcases your personality and strength of character. The goal is to persuade colleges that you would make an invaluable addition to their communities. In some cases, colleges may even offer admission to students who fall somewhat short of their quantitative standards, provided that an essay is compelling enough.

Along with revealing your talents as a writer, college essays provide valuable insight into who you are and how you’ll contribute to the campus. The best essays reveal not only your history, including past experiences and passions, but also your goals for the future. The idea is to show admissions committees who you’ve been, who you are, and who you plan to become. 

Check out our video to learn more about writing about Coronavirus in your essays !

Should You Write Your College Essays About Coronavirus?

When seeking out topics for your college essay, you may wonder if writing about the coronavirus pandemic is a wise choice. While it’s natural to be focused on COVID-19 and the way it’s affecting your life right now, the truth is that many of your fellow applicants are likely to have similar experiences around this topic. The best college essays are unique, and students who write about the virus are unlikely to stand out from the crowd. 

There are some circumstances in which COVID-19 topics can make for compelling essays. If you spent the quarantine doing something unique, intriguing, or ambitious, feel free to write about it in your application essay. For example, students who opted to build a computer while stuck at home might want to use their essays to describe the experience and what they learned from it. Similarly, you could write an essay about fundraising for a charity, like a local animal rescue or homeless shelter, during the quarantine. The goal is to reveal who you are as a person while differentiating yourself from the pack.

Elements of a Strong College Essay

There are various aspects to consider when choosing a topic for your college essays. Whether or not you opt to write about something you did during the quarantine, keep these elements in mind when deciding on a subject:

The best essay topics aren’t just compelling. They also reveal something personal and specific about the applicant. Remember, colleges are trying to get a feel for who you are and what you’ll achieve in the years to come. When selecting between you and another applicant, adcoms are likely to choose the person with whom they feel an emotional connection, so don’t be afraid to share something real and distinct. 

Of course, even the most intimate topics become less compelling if they feel overdone. Some experiences, such as recovering from a sports injury or volunteering in another country, are revealing but not necessarily unique. Avoid these cliche college essay subjects in favor of something that will make bored admissions officers sit up and pay attention. 

In an effort to catch the eye of admissions committees, you may be tempted to use your essay to share every important event in your life. Unfortunately, essays that include too many topics tend to come across as bloated and unfocused. Once you land on a subject for your college essay, avoid the temptation to go off on tangents or explore related topics. The best essays share a highly-specific story that offers a window into who you are and how you respond in certain situations. 

Grammatically Spotless

Even the best essays are unlikely to make an impression if they’re riddled with grammar errors. Along with running spell check on your essay, print it out and read it aloud to identify mistakes. It’s also a good idea to ask a trusted friend or family member to look over your work and make suggestions. You want to ensure that the final product is truly representative of your abilities. 

College Essay Resources

When it comes to creating an impressive essay, it’s important to remember you aren’t alone. From tips on choosing a topic to advice on proofreading, below are some of CollegeVine’s best posts on writing the college essay:

How to Write the Common App Essays (With Examples!)  

How to Write the Coalition Application Essays

What If I Don’t Have Anything Interesting to Write About In My College Essay?

Want to ensure your college essay is a success? At CollegeVine, we offer a free peer review service to help students create standout essays. Simply submit your essay for free on our site and receive valuable feedback from your peers. Additionally, you can review other students’ submissions to gain insight into the process and identify strengths and weaknesses in your own writing. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today and take the first step toward your college goals.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Writing about COVID-19 in a college admission essay

by: Venkates Swaminathan | Updated: September 14, 2020

Print article

For students applying to college using the CommonApp, there are several different places where students and counselors can address the pandemic’s impact. The different sections have differing goals. You must understand how to use each section for its appropriate use.

The CommonApp COVID-19 question

First, the CommonApp this year has an additional question specifically about COVID-19 :

Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.

This question seeks to understand the adversity that students may have had to face due to the pandemic, the move to online education, or the shelter-in-place rules. You don’t have to answer this question if the impact on you wasn’t particularly severe. Some examples of things students should discuss include:

• The student or a family member had COVID-19 or suffered other illnesses due to confinement during the pandemic.
• The candidate had to deal with personal or family issues, such as abusive living situations or other safety concerns
• The student suffered from a lack of internet access and other online learning challenges.
• Students who dealt with problems registering for or taking standardized tests and AP exams.

Jeff Schiffman of the Tulane University admissions office has a blog about this section. He recommends students ask themselves several questions as they go about answering this section:

• Are my experiences different from others’?
• Are there noticeable changes on my transcript?
• Am I aware of my privilege?
• Am I specific? Am I explaining rather than complaining?
• Is this information being included elsewhere on my application?

If you do answer this section, be brief and to-the-point.

Counselor recommendations and school profiles

Second, counselors will, in their counselor forms and school profiles on the CommonApp, address how the school handled the pandemic and how it might have affected students, specifically as it relates to:

• Grading scales and policies
• Graduation requirements
• Instructional methods
• Schedules and course offerings
• Testing requirements
• Your academic calendar
• Other extenuating circumstances

Students don’t have to mention these matters in their application unless something unusual happened.

Writing about COVID-19 in your main essay

Write about your experiences during the pandemic in your main college essay if your experience is personal, relevant, and the most important thing to discuss in your college admission essay. That you had to stay home and study online isn’t sufficient, as millions of other students faced the same situation. But sometimes, it can be appropriate and helpful to write about something related to the pandemic in your essay. For example:

• One student developed a website for a local comic book store. The store might not have survived without the ability for people to order comic books online. The student had a long-standing relationship with the store, and it was an institution that created a community for students who otherwise felt left out.
• One student started a YouTube channel to help other students with academic subjects he was very familiar with and began tutoring others.
• Some students used their extra time that was the result of the stay-at-home orders to take online courses pursuing topics they are genuinely interested in or developing new interests, like a foreign language or music.

Experiences like this can be good topics for the CommonApp essay as long as they reflect something genuinely important about the student. For many students whose lives have been shaped by this pandemic, it can be a critical part of their college application.

Want more? Read 6 ways to improve a college essay , What the &%$! should I write about in my college essay , and Just how important is a college admissions essay? .

Homes Nearby

Homes for rent and sale near schools

How our schools are (and aren't) addressing race

The truth about homework in America

What should I write my college essay about?

What the #%@!& should I write about in my college essay?

Yes! Sign me up for updates relevant to my child's grade.

Please enter a valid email address

Thank you for signing up!

Server Issue: Please try again later. Sorry for the inconvenience

More From Forbes

A guide to writing the covid-19 essay for the common app.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

Students can use the Common App's new Covid-19 essay to expand on their experiences during the ... [+] pandemic.

Covid-19 has heavily impacted students applying to colleges in this application cycle. High schools have gone virtual, extracurricular activities have been canceled and family situations might have changed. Having recognized this, the Common App added a new optional 250-word essay that will give universities a chance to understand the atypical high school experience students have had. The prompt will be: 

“Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.”

Should I Write About The Coronavirus Pandemic?

For many high schoolers, the pandemic will have had a lasting impact on their education and everyday lives. Some students might have had a negative experience: a parent laid off or furloughed, limited access to online classes or a family member (or the student) having fallen ill from the virus. 

Other students might have had the opposite experience. Even though they might have undergone a few negative events or stressful times, they might have learned something new, started a new project or gained a new perspective that changed their future major or career choice. 

If you fit into either of these categories, writing the optional essay might be a good idea. 

Remember, the admission officers have also been dealing with the crisis and understand the situation students are going through. They are well aware that the AP exams were administered remotely, SAT/ACT test dates were canceled and numerous schools transitioned to a virtual learning model. There is likely no need to reiterate this in an essay unless there was a direct impact on an aspect of your application.

Here’s How Kamala Harris Performs In Polls Against Trump—As Biden Drops Out And Endorses Harris

‘are you ready’—elon musk fans wild rumors donald trump will create a u.s. bitcoin strategic reserve and trigger crypto price chaos, eminem stops taylor swift from making history, what not to write .

As with every college essay you write, it is important to think about the tone and word choice. You want to remain sensitive to the plight of other students during this global crisis. While every student has likely been affected by the pandemic, the level of impact will vary greatly. For some, classes moved online, but life remained more or less the same. For these types of students, it might not be a strategic move to write about the coronavirus if you don’t have anything meaningful, unique or personal to say. If you only have a limited time to impress the admission officer, you want to ensure that each word is strategically thought out and showcases a new aspect of your personality. 

Using this space as a time to complain about how you weren’t able to go to the beach, see friends or eat out could be seen as you flaunting your privilege. Careful consideration of how you portray yourself will be key. 

Nearly every student has had an activity or event canceled. It likely won’t be a good use of your word count lamenting on the missed opportunities. Instead, it would be more illuminating to talk about how you remained flexible and pivoted to other learning opportunities.  

How To Write The Covid-19 Essay

The Covid-19 essay was introduced so universities could gain a better understanding of how their applicants have had their lives and education disrupted due to the pandemic. You’ll want to give the admission officers context to understand your experiences better. 

Here are some examples of how to write this optional essay. 

• Outline any extenuating circumstances related to Covid-19. Some students might find themselves crammed in a small apartment or home with their entire family. This disruptive environment might have made it difficult for the student to concentrate on their classes. Some students might be required to care for younger siblings during the day. In many areas of the country, lack of access to high-speed internet or smart devices meant that students couldn’t participate in online learning. Now is the time to share those details. 
• Include the impact. Ultimately, this essay is about you. Things likely happened to family members, friends or your community, but you need to show how it altered your life specifically. 
• Provide specific details. Give the admission officers a peek into your everyday life. Including specific details can help make your story come alive. For example, don’t just say that it was hard dealing with the emotional trauma of seeing friends and family fall ill. Instead, be specific and talk about how your friend was diagnosed with Covid-19 and had to be hospitalized. Seeing the long-term effects caused you to take the pandemic much more seriously and moved you to take action. Perhaps you were inspired to start a nonprofit that makes masks or to help your neighbors through this difficult time. 

Covid-19 Essay for School Counselors 

It’s not just students who will get to submit an additional statement regarding the impact of the coronavirus: Counselors will also get a chance to submit a 500-word essay. Their prompt will be: 

Your school may have made adjustments due to community disruptions such as COVID–19 or natural disasters. If you have not already addressed those changes in your uploaded school profile or elsewhere, you can elaborate here. Colleges are especially interested in understanding changes to:

• Grading scales and policies
• Graduation requirements
• Instructional methods
• Schedules and course offerings
• Testing requirements
• Your academic calendar
• Other extenuating circumstances

The counselor’s response will populate to all the applications of students from the high school. They will cover any school or district policies that have impacted students. No specific student details will be included. 

Students can ask to see a copy of this statement so they know what information has already been shared with colleges. For example, if the school states that classes went virtual starting in March, you don’t need to repeat that in your Covid-19 essay. 

Should I Write About The Covid-19 In My Personal Statement?

The world before Covid-19 might seem like a distant memory, but you did spend more than 15 years engaging in a multitude of meaningful activities and developing your passions. It’s important to define yourself from more than just the coronavirus crisis. You likely will want to spend the personal statement distinguishing yourself from other applicants. With the Covid-19 optional essay and the additional information section, you should have plenty of space to talk about how you’ve changed—for better or for worse—due to the pandemic. Use the personal statement to talk about who you were before quarantining.

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

How to Write About the Impact of the Coronavirus in a College Essay

The global impact of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, means colleges and prospective students alike are in for an admissions cycle like no other. Both face unprecedented challenges and questions as they grapple with their respective futures amid the ongoing fallout of the pandemic.

Colleges must examine applicants without the aid of standardized test scores for many -- a factor that prompted many schools to go test-optional for now . Even grades, a significant component of a college application, may be hard to interpret with some high schools adopting pass-fail classes last spring due to the pandemic. Major college admissions factors are suddenly skewed.

"I can't help but think other (admissions) factors are going to matter more," says Ethan Sawyer, founder of the College Essay Guy, a website that offers free and paid essay-writing resources.

College essays and letters of recommendation , Sawyer says, are likely to carry more weight than ever in this admissions cycle. And many essays will likely focus on how the pandemic shaped students' lives throughout an often tumultuous 2020.

[ Read: How to Write a College Essay. ]

But before writing a college essay focused on the coronavirus, students should explore whether it's the best topic for them.

Writing About COVID-19 for a College Application

Much of daily life has been colored by the coronavirus. Virtual learning is the norm at many colleges and high schools, many extracurriculars have vanished and social lives have stalled for students complying with measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.

"For some young people, the pandemic took away what they envisioned as their senior year," says Robert Alexander, dean of admissions, financial aid and enrollment management at the University of Rochester in New York. "Maybe that's a spot on a varsity athletic team or the lead role in the fall play. And it's OK for them to mourn what should have been and what they feel like they lost, but more important is how are they making the most of the opportunities they do have?"

That question, Alexander says, is what colleges want answered if students choose to address COVID-19 in their college essay.

But the question of whether a student should write about the coronavirus is tricky. The answer depends largely on the student.

"In general, I don't think students should write about COVID-19 in their main personal statement for their application," Robin Miller, master college admissions counselor at IvyWise, a college counseling company, wrote in an email.

"Certainly, there may be exceptions to this based on a student's individual experience, but since the personal essay is the main place in the application where the student can really allow their voice to be heard and share insight into who they are as an individual, there are likely many other topics they can choose to write about that are more distinctive and unique than COVID-19," Miller says.

[ Read: What Colleges Look for: 6 Ways to Stand Out. ]

Opinions among admissions experts vary on whether to write about the likely popular topic of the pandemic.

"If your essay communicates something positive, unique, and compelling about you in an interesting and eloquent way, go for it," Carolyn Pippen, principal college admissions counselor at IvyWise, wrote in an email. She adds that students shouldn't be dissuaded from writing about a topic merely because it's common, noting that "topics are bound to repeat, no matter how hard we try to avoid it."

Above all, she urges honesty.

"If your experience within the context of the pandemic has been truly unique, then write about that experience, and the standing out will take care of itself," Pippen says. "If your experience has been generally the same as most other students in your context, then trying to find a unique angle can easily cross the line into exploiting a tragedy, or at least appearing as though you have."

But focusing entirely on the pandemic can limit a student to a single story and narrow who they are in an application, Sawyer says. "There are so many wonderful possibilities for what you can say about yourself outside of your experience within the pandemic."

He notes that passions, strengths, career interests and personal identity are among the multitude of essay topic options available to applicants and encourages them to probe their values to help determine the topic that matters most to them -- and write about it.

That doesn't mean the pandemic experience has to be ignored if applicants feel the need to write about it.

Writing About Coronavirus in Main and Supplemental Essays

Students can choose to write a full-length college essay on the coronavirus or summarize their experience in a shorter form.

To help students explain how the pandemic affected them, The Common App has added an optional section to address this topic. Applicants have 250 words to describe their pandemic experience and the personal and academic impact of COVID-19.

[ Read: The Common App: Everything You Need to Know. ]

"That's not a trick question, and there's no right or wrong answer," Alexander says. Colleges want to know, he adds, how students navigated the pandemic, how they prioritized their time, what responsibilities they took on and what they learned along the way.

If students can distill all of the above information into 250 words, there's likely no need to write about it in a full-length college essay, experts say. And applicants whose lives were not heavily altered by the pandemic may even choose to skip the optional COVID-19 question.

"This space is best used to discuss hardship and/or significant challenges that the student and/or the student's family experienced as a result of COVID-19 and how they have responded to those difficulties," Miller notes. Using the section to acknowledge a lack of impact, she adds, "could be perceived as trite and lacking insight, despite the good intentions of the applicant."

To guard against this lack of awareness, Sawyer encourages students to tap someone they trust to review their writing , whether it's the 250-word Common App response or the full-length essay.

Experts tend to agree that the short-form approach to this as an essay topic works better, but there are exceptions. And if a student does have a coronavirus story that he or she feels must be told, Alexander encourages the writer to be authentic in the essay.

"My advice for an essay about COVID-19 is the same as my advice about an essay for any topic -- and that is, don't write what you think we want to read or hear," Alexander says. "Write what really changed you and that story that now is yours and yours alone to tell."

Sawyer urges students to ask themselves, "What's the sentence that only I can write?" He also encourages students to remember that the pandemic is only a chapter of their lives and not the whole book.

Miller, who cautions against writing a full-length essay on the coronavirus, says that if students choose to do so they should have a conversation with their high school counselor about whether that's the right move. And if students choose to proceed with COVID-19 as a topic, she says they need to be clear, detailed and insightful about what they learned and how they adapted along the way.

"Approaching the essay in this manner will provide important balance while demonstrating personal growth and vulnerability," Miller says.

Pippen encourages students to remember that they are in an unprecedented time for college admissions.

"It is important to keep in mind with all of these (admission) factors that no colleges have ever had to consider them this way in the selection process, if at all," Pippen says. "They have had very little time to calibrate their evaluations of different application components within their offices, let alone across institutions. This means that colleges will all be handling the admissions process a little bit differently, and their approaches may even evolve over the course of the admissions cycle."

Searching for a college? Get our complete rankings of Best Colleges.

Private Prep

Test Prep, Tutoring, College Admissions

How to Talk About COVID-19 in Your College Essay

When, where, and how to reflect on your experiences.

Every year, as rising seniors look ahead to their applications, one big question looms: what should I write my college essay about? That’s hard enough (and for some helpful advice and tips, check out our College Essay Resource Center ), but because of the pandemic that question has become even more complicated as many students wonder: should I write about COVID-19 and how it’s affected me?

The answer? Maybe — but the key is using the right space on the application and approaching it in the right way. See below for three things to keep in mind. 

Use the right space.

COVID-19 is still on the forefront of absolutely everyone’s minds in the admissions world, and that includes how it might impact what students want to write about. Admissions officers know that COVID-19 has, of course, had a truly tremendous impact on every single high school student in the world, and want to provide students a space to address that. For this reason, in the previous admissions cycle, the Common Application added a COVID-19-specific prompt, which will remain for 2022-23. We highly recommend that most students who wish to address COVID-19-related impacts and interruptions use this space, rather than their personal statement, to discuss these impacts. But what should you say once you get there?

It’s all about context.

We talk about context a lot in the college admissions world, and that’s because context is hugely important; students are not all living the same experiences, and admissions officers ultimately want to know what you did with the opportunities available to you. This optional new space on the Common App, which offers students up to 250 words, provides students a chance to explain any COVID-19-related challenges, from internet connectivity issues to learning disabilities that might make virtual learning hard to disruptions to home and family life, without having to use their personal statements to do so.

Much like the Additional Information section, which is also optional, we recommend that students focus their answer to address these questions: What information can I provide to the admissions office that will help them better understand my file? What will not yet be represented about me via my teacher recommendations, counselor letter, activities section, and personal statement? This could be an academic challenge due to COVID-19, an issue with AP or other testing opportunities, or the way you spent time with family in lieu of your traditional extracurricular activities. The good news is that there isn’t really a wrong answer. It’s all about providing the admissions office with the information they need to understand the world you come from and who you are—through the lens of COVID-19 impacts and disruptions.

When students evaluate what to include, they should also keep in mind that their schools, too, will have a new space to explain COVID-19-related changes in grading systems, academic opportunities, and more, so the burden for those explanations does not rest solely on students’ shoulders. We recommend coordinating with school counselors to check in about this as well.

Ultimately, each student may use this space a little differently (or, in some cases, not at all—many students may not find a need to use this space). The important thing, and the goal of admissions officers in adding this, is that students will be freed up to approach their personal statement as they usually would and to not have to worry about using that space to communicate COVID-19 challenges.

Keep your personal statement personal.

At the end of the day, while context is extremely important, admissions officers don’t only want to know about things that have happened to you, they want to know all the other great things about you! They want to know what you love, what excites you, what makes you tick, what you’re curious about. They really, truly want to get to know you in your personal statement, and will be excited that you’re able to use this space to nerd out or talk about the things that really matter in your life. 

Does this mean that you absolutely cannot write your personal statement on a topic related to COVID-19? Of course not. In college essay land, there are very few “absolutely not” topics—what matters is how a student approaches a topic, not what the topic itself is. If you’ve had a had meaningful or powerful experience as a result of this challenging time, and 250 words just isn’t going to cut it, it may ultimately be totally appropriate to write about it in your personal statement; the key is, like all personal statements, it should ultimately show us something else about you: your creativity, ingenuity, leadership, ability to collaborate, intellectual curiosity, commitment to the common good—all that good stuff. If you feel that an experience that you’ve had as a result of COVID-19 highlights one of the personal attributes you’re most proud of, by all means, go for it. Just make sure to make it less about COVID-19 and more about YOU!

Wondering how to approach pandemic interruptions in your application or how to think strategically about telling your story? Our expert college admissions coaches and college essay specialists can help! Contact us for more information.

OWU Admission Blog

How to create a strong application in the covid-19 era, by the owu admission team.

COVID-19 is the elephant in every Zoom room. Disrupting our lives and routines, the global pandemic has impacted almost every industry, and higher education is no exception. As college students adjust to hybrid classes and wearing masks around campus, admission offices are also adapting.

For this unprecedented admission cycle, colleges and universities recognize that, while many aspects of the application will remain the same, applications will undoubtedly look different than ever before, as students struggle with canceled activities and swift switches to online learning.

To help students and families create the best application possible, we included a few tips and tricks for applying in the COVID-19 era. 

1. Do not be afraid to share contextual information in response to the COVID-19 question on the Common Application. This year, the CommonApp added a question where students can discuss any challenges the global pandemic has created for them or their family. This open-ended question gives students 250 words to talk about issues with reliable technology, struggles with online learning, family or personal health, canceled or postponed extracurricular activities, economic insecurity, or other related topics.

Colleges care about context, especially during this application cycle, because every student has been impacted in some way by the pandemic’s consequences. If you feel you have something important to share that will provide insight into an aspect of your application, don’t hesitate to express your thoughts.

2. COVID-19 can be a character in your essay, but it should not be the main idea. As mentioned in the tip above, the CommonApp now includes a section for students to share about COVID-19’s impact on their lives, so writing about the same topic in the primary essay may be a bit repetitive. The essay section offers an opportunity for students to share something new about themselves, such as a hobby, role model, life lesson, or favorite memory. Essays can be emotional, but some of the best essays are humorous and light.

Many students will write about the pandemic this year and next year, as this global crisis is one of the largest challenges and disruptions students have faced. However, avoiding this topic as your primary essay can help your work stand out.

3. The activities section can include informal or canceled extracurricular activities. One of the ways that high school students were hurt by the pandemic is the disruption of after-school activities: sports seasons, part-time jobs, musical groups, debate teams, and so much more. In your activities section, colleges and universities want to learn more about what you do when you are not in school. If you spent a lot of time cultivating your new baking skills during the pandemic, tell us!

It is completely fine if some activities listed are not an “official school activity.” You can also include activities that you planned to do but were canceled due to the pandemic, as long as you are clear about the interruption of your plans. Again, colleges and universities want to gauge your interests and understand what you would have done if you were able to.

4. Use test optional policies to your advantage. This year, over 80% of Ohio’s private colleges and universities instituted test optional or test blind options for applicants, as so many students are struggling to take or retake one of the standardized tests (ACT and SAT). If you were not able to take the ACT or SAT, check in with each institution you are applying to about their test optional policy.

Make sure to ask if their review process for awarding scholarships or certain competitive awards will also be test optional. Sometimes you still need test scores for the top scholarship opportunities, honors programs, or specific majors, even if the school is considered “test optional.” 

If you were able to take an ACT or SAT, only submit your scores to a test optional school if they are strong. Having scores does not necessarily boost your application; they can sometimes hinder it. A good rule of thumb to use is as follows: If your scores are above the average, you should submit them. If they are below the institution’s average, you should opt for test-optional. Most admission representatives, and your college counselor, can help you make a good decision. Ask your admission counselor at each institution for their recommendation, and use your college counselor’s knowledge of the process to assist you as well.  Read OWU's test optional policy .

At Ohio Wesleyan, we recognize that life may be a bit hectic right now. Our best advice is to remain calm and use all of your resources to submit the strongest college application you can. Every prospective college student around the world has been impacted by this global crisis, so take a deep breath and know that you are not alone!

Tips from the OWU Admission Team

Applying to college can be a complex journey. Check out these tips to help you navigate the process.

Fact Check: Early Decision and Early Action

4 Tips to Make Your College Essay Shine

How To Optimize Your On-Campus Visit

Ways to Optimize Your Virtual Visit

4 Steps to a Great College Recommendation Letter

Questions to Ask When you Have None

Admission contact info, social media.

X Follow Us

Instagram Follow Us

Office Hours

Find anything you save across the site in your account

A Pandemic College Essay That Probably Won’t Get You Into Brown

Community disruptions such as COVID -19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. — The 2020-21 college-admissions Common Application.

COVID -19 is a very destructive respiratory disease that has caused much pain and suffering for millions of people around the world. Although my heart grieves for all the lives lost, each of us has suffered in our own unique ways. For me, that suffering took the form of not getting an opportunity to play the lead in our spring drama, which was, so tragically, cancelled.

For years, I have been working toward this goal. As a freshman, I auditioned for the role of Laura in the Tennessee Williams famous American drama “The Glass Menagerie.” While I did not win the role, I find it very ironic that now, only three years later, we have all become aware that life is as precious as those fateful glass figurines due to COVID -19.

As a sophomore, my efforts to secure the role of the wrongly accused Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s important play “Othello” were, once again, thwarted. Our drama coach, Ms. Wilkie, told me during the audition process that sophomores would be considered for leading roles, but the parts of Othello, Iago, and Desdemona all went to upperclassmen, even though none of them had taken private acting classes, as I have, with Leonard Michaels (Broadway credits include “Company,” “Starlight Express,” “Pump Boys and Dinettes”), at the Willows Dramatic Academy for Young Performers.

This experience taught me that authority figures do not always have “the answers,” a lesson reinforced when Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is a very respected medical adviser to many Presidents of the United States of America, said at first that masks should not be worn but then said that they should.

When discussing masks these days, it is impossible not to conjure in one’s mind images of the famous “Comedy and Tragedy” masks, which were worn in ancient Greece during the classical period, from approximately 500 to 300 B.C.

Junior year was a turning point for my high-school theatrical career. I auditioned to portray Abigail Williams in “The Crucible,” a play that on the surface purports to be about the Salem witch trials but is in fact a parable about McCarthyism, which was a terrible episode of American history that itself had a long-lasting impact on American history. Although I did not receive the part of Abigail Williams, I did play the pivotal role of Deputy Governor Danforth, who has several lines. Our school newspaper declared my presentation “dramatic” (review attached).

This year, my senior year, Ms. Wilkie said that we would be doing the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Our Town.” Never could I have foreseen that “our town” would be affected by the respiratory disease only a few short months later.

Needless to say, I watched in horror in January and February of last year as news reports emerged from China about a new respiratory ailment that threatened to sicken people and shut down vast portions of the economy. In March, we received word that our very high school would be closing its mahogany doors. The curtain on my high-school theatrical career, tragically, fell forever, before I even had the chance to audition for the central role of the Stage Manager, which I planned to reinterpret as a strong, independent woman in the wake of #MeToo.

Perhaps Fate is the real Stage Manager.

The Stanislavski method of acting teaches us to incorporate our actual experiences into our Craft. Should I have the great honor of studying at the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University, I vow to incorporate the suffering of this past year into my Art as a tribute to all those, including myself, who have experienced such tremendous loss.

It is believed that the immortal bard, William Shakespeare, said, “Instead of weeping when a tragedy occurs in a songbird’s life, it sings away its grief.” My time at Brown will be my chance to “sing away grief,” except that, unlike the tragedies of Shakespeare and other playwrights, my tragedy is real and therefore more tragic.

Please find attached a video of me in a scene from Herb Gardner’s “A Thousand Clowns” (performed with J. Leonard Mitchell, member, Actors’ Equity). ♦

Daily Humor

By signing up, you agree to our User Agreement and Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

clock This article was published more than  3 years ago

Should you bring covid-19 into your college application essay?

I applied to college in 1962. It was a good year in America — no pandemic, no lockdowns, no recession. During the Cuban missile crisis in October, I dived under my desk in an air-raid drill. But that scare passed quickly.

This year is different. No event in this century has overturned the lives of as many people as the arrival of the novel coronavirus . For those applying to college, it raises a tricky issue: Should you write about it in your application essays?

I agree you have more important things to worry about these days. But applying to college is an awkward rite of passage. It unnerves many students, and their parents. I have been writing about college admissions for 40 years. The nuances of getting into where you want to go have never been more elusive and frustrating.

You have been told the essays give you a chance to stand out. They are also designed to reveal how well you fit in. If you obsess over how much the pandemic has messed up your life, you are likely to seem panicky and emotional. Who wants to admit someone like that? It won’t go over well in the dorm.

You have picked the colleges on your list because they fit your tastes and ambitions. You are the best judge of how to handle the should-I-mention-the-pandemic issue. Be careful of what your parents say. Mothers and fathers about to send their children into the world can be panicky and emotional, too. Your friends also may not have the best advice.

If you don’t want to devote precious essay space to 2020’s world-shaking events, that’s fine. Admission officers who have to read hundreds of these compositions are likely to bless you for not telling them stuff they already know. A passing mention in a humorous vein, such as “closing school meant I avoided the trauma of junior prom,” might work. The idea is to reveal things about yourself that will impress readers and help them like you. Your darkest thoughts aren’t going to do that. They already know what kind of student you are from the rest of your application.

Casey Near, the executive director of counseling at the college counseling company Collegewise, suggested to me that before writing about covid-19, an applicant should consider this: “Is what you’ve realized, what you’ve lived, or what you’ve done unique to you, or something the kids within your neighboring Zip codes are also experiencing?”

The application might ask you to describe an important moment in your life or a personal characteristic that reveals who you are. You could discuss how you handled spending 24 hours a day in the same house with your parents. But you might be happier, and make a better impression, if you tried something lighter. I know a student who got into her first choice of college by discussing her ability to identify almost any popular song by the first three or four notes. If you have a favorite pastime you are bad at, like golf or needlepoint, that would also be fun to read about.

You would be wise to add one feature to your essays that college applicants rarely consider: self-deprecation. Making fun of yourself tells the reader you are the kind of person who would be a delight to sit with during dinner, join at parties or have in class.

Instead of writing about how you led your school baseball league in home runs, why not focus on the fact that you also pitched and set a record for hitting batters? It is fine to say you worked every weekend doing the dishes at a homeless shelter, but the admission officer would be more likely to love your application if you also confessed you ate all the untouched desserts before washing those plates.

I should add a word of support for parents, since I am one. If mom or dad make a specific suggestion about your essay, sleep on it overnight before rejecting it. In my life as a writer, a critical reader who sees something that doesn’t work is usually right.

There are fresh ways to write about the worst year ever. Perhaps it gave you a chance to have long talks with your mother about how much she hated growing up in poverty but later realized that the frugality ingrained in her was a gift. Maybe the political sniping you saw so much on cable news led you to want to study how democracies, particularly ours, can find ways to unite when times are bad.

You have had a tough year. So have most people. If you show your admission office readers a bit of wit and modesty, they are likely to remember fondly what you wrote, even if you never mention covid-19.

Local newsletters: Local headlines (8 a.m.) | Afternoon Buzz (4 p.m.)

Like PostLocal on Facebook | Follow @postlocal on Twitter | Latest local news

The pandemic school year

Students, guardians and teachers experience a very different school year as the coronavirus disrupts the country’s education system..

Schools reopening: Safety concerns | Fall “normalcy” | CDC’s road map | Inside Biden’s reopening promises

Current school year: Staying at home | Asian American students missing from classrooms | Schoolchildren struggling with mental health

Higher ed: Living on campus during the pandemic | Education Department extends pause on federal student loan payments | Mental health crisis on college campuses

The latest DMV news: Random coronavirus testing at D.C. schools | Alexandria adopts 3-foot distancing in classrooms | In-person learning expands in D.C., but mostly at wealthiest schools | Four days a week of in-person learning in Fairfax

We want to hear from you:

Tell us how school reopening is going: Parents, guardians and teachers | Students

Financial aid: How has the pandemic affected how you’ll pay for college?

Published September 02, 2020

So You Want to Talk About COVID-19 in Your Application

Eudora Okine

Assistant Director, NYU Abu Dhabi Admissions

So You're Applying to College During a Global Pandemic.

As if the application process in itself wasn’t daunting enough! You, the Class of 2025, have the added task of doing so while navigating all the ways in which COVID-19 has impacted you. And you may be wondering should you talk about COVID-19 in your application?

I want to start off by reassuring you that as institutions of higher education, we not only understand, but we care. What we have collectively experienced this year has impacted us all in many diverse ways. No one has been left un-impacted by the pandemic. We understand that applying to university this year is going to be different. We are working around the clock to create new and innovative ways to support you on this journey.

At NYU, we have created a series of virtual opportunities for students and parents to learn about our three degree-granting campuses. We have also amended our already flexible testing policy.  No student who is unable to submit standardized testing this year will be disadvantaged in the application process. We are also working closely with your counselors to understand what changes and unique challenges you might be facing this year.

But what can YOU do?

This is a question that’s probably on your mind a lot. How do you address the impact of COVID-19 in your application?

I’d like to start off by assuring you that you absolutely do not have to. We by no means expect you to. You will not be penalized in your application if you never use the words ‘global pandemic’ or ‘corona’ or ‘COVID-19’ even once.

It’s important to understand that the complexity of the world we live in means that both good and bad can coexist. It is possible to hold space for everything. For grief and joy. Happiness and sadness. Pain and peace. You can totally choose to focus your essays on absolutely anything else other than the global pandemic. After all, we are not the sum total of the things that have happened to us. And the point of the essays is for you to tell us about who you are, and how you will fit into our community. It’s very important that the essence of you doesn’t get lost in your application.

That being said, you may still want to address the global pandemic somewhere in your application. We understand that your application may be grossly incomplete without the context of your experience. And there are a myriad of ways for you to go about doing that.

1. The New Optional Common App Covid-19 Question

This might be the most natural way to talk about COVID-19 in your application. The College Board has responded to the unique crisis students are facing this year by adding a new question to the Common App :

Community disruptions such as COVID-19 and natural disasters can have deep and long-lasting impacts. If you need it, this space is yours to describe those impacts. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces.

• Do you wish to share anything on this topic? Y/N
• Please use this space to describe how these events have impacted you.

You’ll have 250 words to express exactly how the global pandemic has impacted you and your education specifically. My advice for using this question would be to be succinct and to the point. You don’t have to craft an essay or make it flow . Just simply outline what you think we should know about your unique situation that is relevant to your application process.

2. In the Additional Information Section of the Common App.

This section allows 650 words and has always been one I’ve advocated using to explain any inconsistencies in your application. Maybe 250 words are not enough to fully tackle the challenges you’ve had to face/overcome this year, or explain inconsistencies. Feel free to use the additional information section to outline anything. Low grades and test scores. Financial challenges. Physical or mental health problems. Loss. If you think it’s impacted your application in any way, or it’s relevant to understanding who you are, we want to know about it.

3. In the Personal Statement

So ignore everything I said about not addressing the pandemic in your essay for a second, because you still can. The key is to make sure who you are and what you want us to know about you doesn’t get lost in the narrative.

Tragedy, pain, loss, sickness, anxiety, fear – they often have this strange way of sparking innovation and rediscovery. Maybe during this time you learned more about yourself. Maybe you found a deeper appreciation for family because you had to spend all day in proximity to them. Your career interests may have evolved. You may have volunteered, or developed a unique program to help others during the pandemic. While you were you before this pandemic began, you and your perspectives may have evolved with it. Remember: no situation is all bad. Good can come from hard things. So that’s something worth writing about if you feel like you fall into that category.

4. In the Counselor Recommendation

Whether or not you choose to address how the current pandemic has impacted you individually in your application is up to you. However, we would definitely like to know how the pandemic has impacted your education. You’re welcome to free up space in your application by allowing your counselor to address this. This could range from testing changes, to changes in grading policies and course offerings. Perhaps part of your coursework was taken remotely online and the other in person. We understand that environment has the ability to impact academic outcomes, so these are all relevant pieces of information for us to have.

I have also seen counselors address personal issues of their students in their letters as well. Maybe there are sensitive issues you don’t feel comfortable writing about yourself. There really is no ‘eloquent way’ to write about hardship or loss. But if it’s easier for you, your counselor can address it for you in their letter so you don’t have to.

More from Eudora:

5 Tips to Get Your NYU Application Submitted

Here’s a bonus tip: don’t wait until the last minute.

How to Approach the Common Application

There’s no wrong way to approach the Common Application, but here’s two different strategies you might want to choose from when you apply to NYU.

Submitting a Transfer Application to NYU

Everything you need and everything you need to know about the transfer process.

7 Personal Statement Examples That Survive COVID-19

Sam Benezra

As summer approaches, rising seniors across the United States have college applications on their mind. This time around, however, things are a little different. The outbreak of COVID-19 has disrupted daily life around the world, and many students are concerned about how it will affect their chances of getting accepted to the school of their choice.

Don’t fret too much about cancelled internships and extracurricular activities or postponed SAT dates. A number of colleges, including Yale , Harvard , and Emory University have released statements assuring applicants that their admissions will not be affected by any disruptions caused by COVID-19. Universities know what students are going through right now, and are understanding of the constraints.

Nevertheless, the coronavirus will surely alter what college applications look like over the next couple of years. Without the opportunity to make their extracurricular activities stand out, students will have to lean on other parts of their application, including the personal statement or essay.

The personal statement or essay is the soul of a college application. It is your opportunity to talk directly to colleges in your own voice. It is a space to tell admissions officers who you are, what you’re interested in, and maybe even to charm them a little bit. When admissions officers read your essay, they want to get a sense of your personality, your passions, and the way you see the world. 

Under the current circumstances, the role of the personal statement is even more important than in an average year.

“The reality is, the way that college admissions is going to go in the fall is not going to be based on numbers and scores the way it might have been in the past,” Nicole Hurd, founder and CEO of College Advising Corps, told TUN . “Everybody is going to have to be able to tell a story that is going to be much more based on experiences and aspirations and narrative than just on numbers.”

With that in mind, here is a guide to writing your personal statement during and after the coronavirus outbreak.

What do colleges want to see in personal statements or essays?

First and foremost, when admissions officers read your personal statement, they want to get a sense of who you are, not only as a student, but as a person. They want to know about the things that matter to you, the way you think, and how you respond to challenges.

“You may be surprised to hear this, but one of the reasons we enjoy reading your essays and stories every year is because we get to understand what a generation is thinking about,” Emory University Director of Recruitment and Talent Giselle F. Martin said in an open letter to juniors and sophomores in April. “We encourage you to take this time to think about what matters most to you. After all, there is no greater gift than time.”

Colleges are still looking for the same qualities in applicants that they always have — intelligence, leadership, creativity, passion, curiosity, and maturity.

In your personal statement, be true to yourself and your experiences. Tell a story from the heart, not one cut out from a college applications handbook.

What are the qualities that define a strong personal statement or essay?

Personal statements should be personal — It’s called a personal statement for a reason. Your personal statement should first and foremost be a story about you. Find inspiration in the big moments in your life, but also in the small moments — dinners with family, laughs with friends, etc.

Personal statements should be meaningful — You don’t have to write your college essay about a profound, life-changing moment. However, whatever topic you do choose should carry some meaning to you or else your readers will be asking themselves, “so what?”

Personal statements should be tight — Your personal statement should be tightly edited and have a strong narrative flow. Common App essays are restrained to a meager 650 words. It can be difficult to pack a whole lot of meaning into such a small space, so make sure every word counts and have a teacher or parent proofread.

Personal statements should be engaging — Hook your reader in and don’t let go. The goal of a personal statement is to make a lasting impression on whoever reads it. Boring essays simply won’t cut it!

What are the personal statement topics and questions?

The Common App allows students to respond to one of seven different personal essay prompts, including an open prompt that allows students to choose their own topic, or even write in their own prompt. 

• Identity and passions : “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, please share your story.”
• Overcoming challenges, setbacks, and failures: “The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?”
• Thinking critically: “Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?”
• Solving problems: “Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma — anything of personal importance no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.”
• Personal growth: “Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.”
• Inspiration and curiosity: “Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?”
• Anything at all: “Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.”

You can access Common App essay prompts for the 2020-2021 application period here .

When brainstorming, try to come up with at least one idea for each prompt.

Are there tips for brainstorming personal statement topics?

The most challenging part of writing your personal statement is settling on a topic to write about or a story to tell. But while brainstorming can be difficult, it can also be a fun process. Here are a few tips to help you generate ideas:

Ask yourself questions — To start generating ideas, it can be helpful to start looking inward and asking some introspective questions, such as:

• What are you passionate about?
• What do you want colleges to know about you?
• What are some impactful moments in your life?
• Who are some meaningful people in your life?
• What’s a story you will never forget? Why will you never forget it?
• How do you spend your free time? Why?
• What are you looking forward to?
• What do you want to get out of your college experience?

Don’t feel the need to impress — Crazy stories do not necessarily make better stories. Don’t get caught up in the idea that you need to tell an overly exciting or dramatic story. Likewise, don’t use your personal statement to list off achievements and awards. The point of the essay is to shine a light on who you are, not what you’ve done.

Think about the small things — Oftentimes, the most personal essays are those that focus on the details of life. Think about your favorite movies, books, and music. Reminisce on conversations and disagreements, sports events and camping trips, road trips, and walks around your neighborhood.

Avoid clichés — College admissions officers read thousands of personal statements every year and, as a result, are experts in picking out clichéd essays. While any topic can make a great essay, it is harder for yours to stand out when it sounds similar to many others. Topics like sports championships and eye-opening travel experiences can make great essays, but they are also a little overplayed, so it might be harder for them to stand out.

Should you write about the coronavirus?

Probably not. While the COVID-19 pandemic has surely been an impactful moment in many of our lives, writing your personal statement about the pandemic may not be the best choice, simply because so many others will likely also be writing about it.

Virtually everyone in the world has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in some capacity and has a unique story about the event. Unfortunately, admissions officers who have to read through thousands of college essays each year will likely have a difficult time differentiating between yours and two hundred others on the same topic.

The best college essays are memorable and unique. They have the ability to stand out amongst a crowd and leave a lasting impression. As a result, the most out-of-the box essays are often the most compelling. Writing on a common topic can make it more difficult to catch your reader’s attention. 

Furthermore, when you are writing about mass events like the coronavirus, it can be easy to write more about the event and about others than about yourself, which is what admissions officers really want to know about.

That doesn’t mean that the coronavirus is completely off-limits as a topic. If you think you have a powerful story to tell, by all means, tell it. However, you should keep in mind that any essay on the coronavirus will have to be outstanding to catch the eye of an admissions officer. 

A better alternative would be to use the Common App’s added question for fall 2020 admissions on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected you personally. 

“That’s definitely an opportunity for (applicants) to talk about what they were planning on doing and how that was taken away,” said Joe Korfmacher , a college counselor at Collegewise. “But it also gives them an opportunity to talk about what they did instead.”

Are there personal statement examples?

These personal statement examples illustrate what works for the students who wrote them.

• Prompt #1: Identity and Passions — Rocio’s “Facing the Hot Griddle”

In this essay, Rocio makes a tortilla, and in doing so, finds herself reflecting on her Guatemalan heritage and current life in the United States. She recounts some of the obstacles that she has faced as an immigrant and how, like masa harina being made into a tortilla, has been molded by her experiences and challenges.

• Prompt #2: Overcoming a Challenge — Heqing “Amy” Zhang’s “On the day my first novel was rejected, I was baking pies.”

In this essay, Amy Zhang recounts the experience of having her first novel rejected by a publishing house on the day of her church’s annual bake sale. With a unique narrative voice that highlights her storytelling skills, Zhang relates her feelings of disappointment and grief, and how these emotions helped her spin her next novel, which she would end up selling within three days.

• Prompt #3: Thinking Critically — Callie’s “Bridging Polarity”

In this essay, Callie reckons with the difference in beliefs between her friends that she grew up with in Texas and those in her new home of San Francisco. She recounts how a visit from a childhood friend led her to value different perspectives and to listen to those with opposing views.

• Prompt #4: Solving Problems — Seena’s “Growing Strawberries in a High School Locker”

Seena assigns himself a unique challenge: to grow strawberries inside an empty high school locker. What seemed initially like a simple task quickly grew into a complex project involving a solar-powered blue LED light, an automated plant watering system, and a 3-D printed, modified lock system that increased airflow into the locker. As Seena recounts this experiment, his innate curiosity, problem-solving, and disposition toward mechanical engineering are on full display.

• Prompt #5: Personal Growth — Anna’s “Returning to Peru”

Anna remembers how a trip to her father’s homeland in Peru helped instill in her a passion for protecting the environment. She recounts witnessing pollution, lack of clean water, and environmental degradation in impoverished areas of Lima and how it motivated her interest in environmental science and conservation.

• Prompt #6: Inspiration and Curiosity — Jillian Impastato’s quest to find women with tatt oos

Jillian Impastato dives into her fascination with the art of tattoos and the lives of women who have them. Intrigued by the symbology and the meaning attached to them, Impastato has embarked on something of an informal anthropology project in which she asks women she sees with tattoos questions. She hears their stories and learns about the relationships they have with the art on their bodies. All at once, this essay displays Impastato’s natural curiosity, her interest in art, her outgoing personality, and her willingness to pursue answers.

• Prompt #7: Anything At All — Madison’s “On Potatoes”

Madison presents herself with a not-so-simple question: “If you had to choose one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?” After weighing the options, she settles on the nutritious and versatile potato. She uses this as a jumping-off point to discuss her own disposition to variance and diversity. The potato becomes a clever metaphor for her innate curiosity and openness to new ideas.

FREE 6-month trial

Then, enjoy Amazon Prime at half the price – 50% off!

TUN AI – Your Education Assistant

I’m here to help you with scholarships, college search, online classes, financial aid, choosing majors, college admissions and study tips!

TUN Helps Students!

Resource content.

Resources for Students

School Search

Scholarships

Scholarship Search

Start a Scholarship

High School

Copyright, 2024 – TUN, Inc

Student Tools

Free Online Courses

Student Discounts

Back to School

Internships

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

COVID-19 is on the rise this summer. How concerned should you be?

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

A new COVID-19 variant is leading an increase in cases nationwide and President Joe Biden is among those who tested positive. Most of the cases being seen in emergency departments are a variant known as KP.3 and a new vaccine is expected, perhaps as early as August, public health officials say.

As The Hill reported , “For many Americans it’s been more than six months since they’ve had a booster shot or a recent infection, leaving them vulnerable to getting sick again.”

Emergency department visits related to COVID-19 increased 23.5% last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , though that is far below the level seen during the core of the pandemic.

“CDC data using the Nowcast data tracker shows that in a two-week period from June 23 to July 6, KP.3 accounts for nearly 37% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. Other variants of the virus still account for infections of COVID-19 in the U.S., including KP.2 and ‘ FLiRT ,’” per USA Today .

The article noted that KP.3 variant symptoms are “identical” to those of the JN.1 variant from which it evolved, including muscle aches, congestion, headache, respiratory problems, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, brain fog, cough, fever and chills, sore throat and gastrointestinal symptoms.

The CDC separately reported that the wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is high. And the West is the part of the country with the highest activity level for wastewater viral load — especially Nevada and Oregon . Levels in Utah are considered high.

COVID-19 reinfections

The good news is that the odds of developing long COVID appear to have decreased some, especially for those who have been vaccinated, according to Science News , based on research in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at the University of California, San Francisco, told The New York Times that a COVID-19 infection could have stronger symptoms than during a previous bout and that the immune system could rev up faster. “This can trigger symptoms before enough virus has built up to produce a positive result on a rapid test,” the Times article noted.

Meanwhile, research published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute indicates that reinfections from the virus that causes COVID-19 will probably be about as severe as an original infection. That means a severe first infection is likely to lead to severe reinfection, based on the study, which was originally published in Communications Medicine . Nearly 9 in 10 of those with mild symptoms the first time around had mild reinfections, though there were exceptions.

“Scientists also discovered that regardless of the variant, long COVID cases were more likely to occur after a first infection compared to a reinfection. Long COVID was defined in the review as those experiencing long-term COVID-19 symptoms, such as feeling tired, coughing, or having problems sleeping, breathing or thinking after an acute coronavirus infection,” the study found.

Vaccine guidelines

In late June, the CDC announced its updated COVID-19 vaccine recommendations for fall and winter, noting it’s safe to get both flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time.

In 2023, the CDC said that more than 916,300 people in the U.S. were hospitalized from COVID-19 and that 75,500 died. Additionally, nearly 45,000 people in the U.S. died from flu complications, according to the news release.

The public health giant recommends that everyone at least 6 months old be given an updated 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine, which should be available starting sometime in August. That recommendation holds even if a person has had a previous COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna, Novavax and Pfizer all have vaccines that will be available.

“Receiving an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine can restore and enhance protection against the virus variants currently responsible for most infections and hospitalizations in the United States. COVID-19 vaccination also reduces the chance of suffering the effects of Long COVID, which can develop during or following acute infection and last for an extended duration,” per the release.

The notice said that September and October are the best time to receive an influenza vaccine for most people. Exceptions are pregnant women in their third trimester, who should get one in July or August to protect their babies, who will be too young to receive a vaccine; children who need two doses; and children receiving health care visits who might not go back in September and October. “For adults (especially those 65 years old and older) and pregnant people in the first and second trimester, vaccination in July and August should be avoided unless it won’t be possible to vaccinate in September or October,” per CDC.

Biden tests positive

After testing positive this week, the president was forced to cancel upcoming events, including campaign events, but the White House said his symptoms have been mild so far, according to The New York Times .

“If Mr. Biden continues to test positive for the next week or more, it could keep him off the campaign trail. And if he continues to have congestion and a cough, as his doctor reported on Wednesday, it could hamper his ability to perform well in any interviews that his campaign could schedule from his home,” per the article.

The White House said Biden planned to recuperate at his beach house in Rehoboth, Delaware, and will carry out his presidential duties from there. It’s the third time Biden has tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

• Home News Tribune
• Courier News
• Jersey Mayhem
• NJ Politics
• National Politics

What to avoid in college application essays | College Connection

An important part of the Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 colleges, is the personal essay. Students are given six options as prompts, as well as a seventh option which is to share an essay on a topic of choice.  So, students can write about anything at all.

The essay is an integral part of the application, as it is typically viewed by all the schools to which a student applies.  It is the one section where students have the opportunity to share what is unique about them and what qualities they will bring to their future college community.

To make their essay stand out, students should avoid some common pitfalls.

Do not cheat. That means students should not turn to ChatGPT or to another person  to write their essay. This should go without saying but, sadly, it does need to be said. College admissions officers know what the “voice” of a teenager sounds like, and that’s exactly what they’re looking for.

More: Top colleges where 'B' students are accepted | College Connection

Do not write about mental health issues. Although many young people, as well as those in every age group, deal with such issues, it is important not to share that information. Due to privacy laws, colleges are not able to contact parents if students struggle with depression, substance abuse, or any other troubling behavior. Therefore, students should not raise a red flag, or they will most likely find their applications in the “rejected” pile.

Do not be redundant. One’s personal essay is not the place to itemize the extracurricular, volunteer, and work experiences that are all included in the Activities section of the Common App. If there is one activity that dominated a student’s high school experience and is particularly compelling, it can be the topic of the essay. But students must elaborate on how they were profoundly impacted by their engagement. 

More: How where you live affects your college admissions chances | College Connection

Do not recycle successful essays that were submitted by prior applicants. Often, students turn to the multitude of articles showcasing essays written by students who were admitted to Ivy League and other elite institutions. What worked for a prior student will not be effective for another as it’s not their story. It’s vital for students to share their genuine story using their authentic voice.   The key to writing a thoughtful, introspective essay is to start early, carefully consider the story you want to share, and then do so in your very own style.

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT ® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362 .

• Open access
• Published: 17 July 2024

‘ Life became harder with COVID-19 ’: exploring the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic among youth living in eThekwini district, South Africa

• Kalysha Closson 1 , 2 ,
• Erica Dong 1 ,
• Bongiwe Zulu 3 ,
• Janan J. Dietrich 5 , 6 , 7 ,
• Campion Zharima 5 , 8 ,
• Julie Jesson 4 ,
• Tatiana Pakhomova 1 ,
• Mags Beksinska 3 &
• Angela Kaida 1  

BMC Public Health volume  24 , Article number:  1922 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

149 Accesses

Metrics details

In South Africa, pervasive age and gender inequities have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and public health response. We aimed to explore experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic among youth in eThekwini district, South Africa.

Between December 2021-May 2022 we explored experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth aged 16–24 residing in eThekwini, South Africa. We collated responses to the open-ended question “Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you in any other way you want to tell us about?” in an online survey focused on understanding the pandemic’s multi-levelled health and social effects. We used a thematic analysis to summarise the responses.

Of 2,068 respondents, 256 (12.4%, median age = 22, 60.9% women) completed the open-ended survey question (11% in isiZulu). Results were organized into three main themes encompassing (1) COVID-19-related loss, fear, grief, and exacerbated mental and physical health concerns; (2) COVID-19-related intensified hardships, which contributed to financial, employment, food, education, and relationship insecurities for individuals and households; and (3) positive effects of the pandemic response, including the benefits of government policies and silver linings to government restrictions.

Conclusions

We found that South African youth experienced significant grief and multiple losses (e.g., death, income, job, and educational) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trauma-aware interventions that provide economic and educational opportunities must be included in post-COVID recovery efforts.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated people’s health, education, and economic security and has exacerbated existing inequalities and vulnerabilities [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. Adolescents are at a critical stage of development and may face long-term consequences due to disruptions in education and social support [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].

Pandemic responses initially overlooked the effect on youth, not considering them high-risk compared to older or medically vulnerable groups [ 7 ]. However, the indirect, multidimensional effects of the pandemic on youth are profound, including immediate and long-term socioeconomic impacts [ 3 , 7 ]. These effects include increased child poverty, worsened learning conditions, threats to child health from economic hardship, safety concerns, and worsening mental well-being [ 2 , 8 ]. The pandemic’s disruption to youth’s access to education and employment opportunities is likely to place them on a volatile trajectory in finding and maintaining quality jobs and income [ 9 ]. Pre-pandemic, young people faced challenges to a successful future with a limited labour market, lack of affordable housing, and difficulty accessing their rights [ 7 , 10 ]. The far-reaching effects on youth may have enduring consequences for society [ 8 ], with youth and future generations bearing significant long-term economic and social burdens worldwide [ 1 , 9 , 11 ].

In South Africa, where the majority of the population (62.6%) was living below the poverty line pre-pandemic [ 12 ], research has shown that food insecurity and hunger worsened among young people [ 13 ]. This has particularly severe implications for youth, who may face multiple losses and challenges during this critical period of physical, cognitive, and social development [ 5 , 6 ]. There have been reports of mental health concerns among South African youth [ 13 ]. Moreover, the unemployment rate among young people aged 15–34 was 46.3% in 2021, with youth disproportionately accounting for 59.5% of total unemployed persons [ 14 ]. Prolonged periods of unemployment in youth have long-lasting effects on income and mental health, occurring beyond the period of economic recession, as well as risks of concurrent and future insecure employment [ 7 , 9 ].

Despite the broad scope of literature on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a gap in knowledge on the experiences and impact of the pandemic on youth in sub-Saharan Africa. To address this gap, our team launched the AYAZAZI RIGHTS ( R apid I nvestigation of G endered H ealth outcomes in the T ime of S ARS-CoV-2) survey in 2021 to explore the multileveled effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth overall and by gender. As part of the survey, we included an open-ended question to gather qualitative data on the experiences of youth in eThekwini, South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By providing an open-ended comment box, we sought to create a space where youth could openly express their thoughts, feelings, and concerns in their own words without being constrained by pre-determined response options [ 15 , 16 ]. By recognising and valuing youth living experience, we aim to provide a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the pandemic on youth. This may inform the development of effective and equitable interventions and policies. By shedding light on youth’s unique needs and vulnerabilities, this study seeks to inform interventions to support the resilience and recovery of young people in South Africa.

Study setting

As of August 2nd, 2023, South Africa had the highest recorded number of COVID-19 cases in the African region, accounting for 43% of all cases [ 17 ]. KwaZulu-Natal is the second most populous province in South Africa, with the second highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases at 728,708 in February 2023 [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. eThekwini, being the most populous district in KwaZulu-Natal, is home to some 3.5 million people [ 21 ], with youth aged 15–24 years-old comprising 16.1% of the population (731,267) [ 22 ]. eThekwini district had recorded the highest number of cases in the province, accounting for 49% of all cases and 35% of deaths in the province in May 2022 [ 19 ] and recording 358,222 cases and 5,707 deaths by February 2023 [ 20 ].

South Africa underwent a national lockdown beginning March 27th, 2020, considered the most restrictive lockdown in Sub-Saharan Africa [ 23 ]. Restrictions included a stay-at-home order, limited gatherings, alcohol and tobacco sale bans, and travel restrictions [ 24 ]. Varying lockdown restrictions followed this in response to multiple waves of COVID-19 infection levels from May 2020 to April 2022, when the National State of Disaster was terminated.

From December 21st, 2021 to May 31st, 2022, data from online surveys were collected to explore the multi-levelled effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth aged 16–24 in the eThekwini district of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Study design

Youth aged 16–24 years, living in the eThekwini district, Durban, South Africa, who could read in English and/or isiZulu and had access to a mobile phone, tablet, or computer that could access the internet were eligible for participation. The survey included questions on socio-demographics, COVID-19 experiences (e.g., illness, deaths, vaccination) and impact (e.g., job, income, food access), as well as other sexual, reproductive, mental health, and substance use experiences and effects from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to the time of the interview. The final survey question allowed participants to choose to enter free text to the question: “Has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you in any other way you want to tell us about?”

The overall AYAZAZI RIGHTS study was a mixed method design, capturing quantitative and qualitative data through an online survey. This analysis used qualitative methods to analyse responses to an open-ended text comment box. Our analysis was informed by a youth-centered and participatory approach, which sought to prioritise youth voices and perspectives and value their lived experiences. Online qualitative surveys hold the advantages of being able to capture diverse perspectives, experiences, and sense-making from a wide population [ 25 ]. The feeling of anonymity encourages disclosure and participation for sensitive topics [ 26 ].

Analysing open-ended data offered valuable insights [ 16 ]. Unlike closed survey responses, open-ended questions elicit more comprehensive information, allowing participants to provide perspectives beyond researchers’ potential biases [ 16 ]. Open-ended data can uncover overlooked issues, enhancing the study’s overall understanding. Additionally, sharing participants’ own words on the topic is beneficial for informing decision-makers and shaping effective, equitable interventions and policies [ 16 ]. In the case of our study, the thematic analysis of the open-ended responses provided a deeper understanding of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth in eThekwini district, South Africa, than the quantitative survey responses alone. As such, our analysis was able to delve further into reasons why young people’s mental health was so affected by the pandemic.

Data collection- recruitment

We recruited participants for our study through diverse methods, including community organisations, advisory boards, social media, and flyers placed in youth frequented areas like retail spaces and transit hubs. We also engaged previous eligible participants from other studies at the Maternal Adolescent and Child Health Research Unit (MRU). To enhance participation, those who completed the full mobile survey could enter a cash prize draw of R100 (CAD$ 8.50), with winning odds varying from one in five to one in twenty during the enrollment period. Participants accessed the survey via a cost-free web link provided through the #datafree Moya Messenger App.

Data analysis

This study qualitatively analyzed open-ended responses on the effects of COVID-19 in English or isiZulu. Responses like “not applicable” or with limited detail, such as a simple “no,” were excluded. We translated isiZulu comments to English and merged them into a single dataset for analysis in NVivo 12. In NVivo, we used thematic analysis to explore the experiences of youth in eThekwini district, South Africa, during the first 26 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach, chosen due to global limited and rapidly evolving pandemic evidence, provided flexibility to highlight youth voices and their experiences while placing them within the broader literature and context [ 27 ].

Both KC and ED initially reviewed all comments to familiarize themselves with the data. Insights from this process were then shared with the team. KC initiated the coding process by reviewing each comment and grouping into initial ‘codes’. Together KC and ED defined initial codes and ED reviewed for accuracy and alignment with code definitions. Initial codes were shared with the remaining team and through iterative discussions, codes evolved into broader categories, which were eventually distilled down to three overarching themes. This iterative theme refinement process allowed team members to gain insight from the data and provided opportunity for multiple members of the team’s perspective to be considered throughout the analysis [ 28 ]. After multiple group discussions. We selected exemplary quotes to highlight the identified themes and ensure representation across age and gender. Only a small number of non-binary participants responded to the open-ended question (< 5). Thus, to protect their identity, we have excluded non-binary participants socio-demographic information from the results below. The term non-binary refers to people whose gender identities and expressions do not conform to binary understanding of gender [ 29 ].

Ethical approval was provided by the Simon Fraser University Research Ethics Board and the University of British Columbia Behavioural Research Ethics Board (REB number: H21-02027), and by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (Wits HREC-Medical) in South Africa (REB number: M210863). Participants were provided with an electronic consent letter, detailing the purpose of the survey, benefits and risks for participation, and key contacts for further question before accessing the questionnaire. A list of resources including online and in-person local support services such as mental health and sexual and reproductive health care was provided at the end of the questionnaire. All participants names are pseudonyms to protect confidentiality.

Of 2,068 participants with non-duplicate responses and complete gender data, 353 (17.1%) included comments in a survey comment box. 97 of these comments were removed as they reported “no” or “NA” without further explanation. Thus, 256 youth (12.4% of the enrolled sample, median age = 22, 60.9% women) submitted a comment (11% in isiZulu). Differences between those who did and did not answer the comment box can be found in Supplementary Material . Additional gender-stratified demographics of youth who submitted a can be found in Table  1 . Our results were organised into three themes based on an iterative theme refinement process, emergent from the coding process. Together, these three themes help reflect the diversity of experiences affecting eThekwini youth during the pandemic. They include: (1) Loss, fear, grief, and exacerbated mental and physical health concerns; (2) Heightened financial, educational, or other insecurities; and (3) Positive effects and silver linings of the pandemic response.

Theme 1: COVID-19-related loss, fear, grief, and exacerbated mental and physical health concerns

Theme one was most common theme discussed in the comments and consists of two sub-themes: ‘loss’ and ‘fear, grief, and exacerbated mental health concerns’.

Much of our data illustrated how common an experience it was for a youth in eThekwini district to have known someone, whether a relative or community member, who died of COVID-19. Loss was highlighted through general comments that ‘COVID-19 was a death sentence’ (Themba, age 21, woman) to much more detailed descriptions of grief and loss that were experienced equally across age and gender. Many young people spoke not just about acquaintances or neighbours, but of members of their immediate families dying from COVID-19. For example:

It [COVID-19] affected me deeply because I lost my father to COVID. -Nia; age 19; woman

Fear, grief, and exacerbated mental health concerns

While many of the comments simply described the experience of losing someone to COVID-19, others were more detailed in describing the grief experienced from losing a loved one to COVID-19. For example, Nkosi highlighted the fear and grief he experienced in losing a relative while many others were dying:

[I] Felt very scared during the first [wave of] COVID-19. […] many people dying from it [COVID-19], hospitals were fully packed, and doctors and nurses were overworked. Many people dying. Lost a relative to COVID, it was very sad and traumatising. - Nkosi; age 20; man

The trauma of losing a loved one was also amplified by the loss that everyone in youths’ communities were also experiencing. Beyond these experiences of having a close family member die of COVID-19, youth also spoke of the trauma of getting very sick from the virus. Getting COVID-19 in the context of high mortality was scary for many participants, as they feared that they might pass COVID-19 to a family member. One participant stated:

I had to stay at home because I was very ill. It was very traumatic for me being sick and many people dying of COVID. - Sbusiso; age 22; man

The onset of COVID-19 illness added an additional layer of complexity to the capacity of numerous young people to work, provide for their families, and heightened concerns about spreading the infection to others.

Finally, mental health concerns were heightened due to public health restrictions that further prevented youth from working, as exemplified by Amahle:

During the COVID-19 pandemic I lost my job due to the pandemic. […] This led me to depression because I couldn’t help my family with groceries and the thing we need. Worse part I had to explain myself to my 7 years old son why I hardly have money for […] his lunch box […]. I got depressed and started to do drugs (weed) […]. Lucky I still have my mom who helped me with most of the things.” - Amahle; age 23, woman

The above quote highlights how the financial strain imposed by pandemic regulations and restrictions was a source of emotional distress, leading to depression. This distress was compounded by the necessity of conveying their financial difficulties to their child. Additionally, the quote mentions the use of substances as a coping mechanism to address the distress and underscores the significance of the family as a support system. In its entirety, the quote serves as a poignant narrative that highlights the interwoven themes of fear, grief and exacerbated mental health concerns within the context of an unprecedented global health crisis.

Theme 2: COVID-19 intensified hardships contributed to financial, employment, food, educational, and relationship insecurities

This theme describes the enhanced socioeconomic hardships experienced during the pandemic and consists of three sub-themes: ‘harder life’, ‘worry about the future’, and ‘the effect of hardships on relationships’.

Harder life

Youth shared the overlapping hardships that they experienced during the pandemic. Many comments left by participants were brief, stating how life was hard or how the pandemic changed everything, such as broad comments like ‘ life became harder with COVID-19’ (Ndlovu; age 20; man). Some individuals provided more detailed insights, delving into how the pandemic worsened economic uncertainties at individual and household levels. For example, comments spoke of specific hardships including youth losing their jobs, their family members losing work, or the household struggling to meet ends meet. Young men were more likely to discuss their own individual struggles with losing work or challenges in securing employment. For example:

I couldn’t find a job because most companies were not performing well. I tried to invent a small business, but I did not have enough capital to implement my ideas. – Tebello; age 23; man

While young women also discussed their own challenges with employment, they were more likely to mention additional hardships facing household members. For example, Amara stated:

Yes, it (COVID-19) has (affected me) because now I’m not working and even my sister too, so no one is working at home now. -Amara; age 24; woman.

Although access to employment was limited and many individuals were facing a reduced income, participants also highlighted that food was hard to come by and the food that was available was more expensive than before the pandemic. For example, Makena stated:

Yes, it (COVID-19) affected us, we could not go to the shops. We were limited things we buy in store and couldn’t go to school every day. Our parents were retrenched. Things were not the same in the house as food went up. – Makena; age 22; woman

Worry about the future

The comments also echoed concerns regarding the future, highlighting how the pandemic intensified pre-existing gaps in career opportunities and disrupted crucial stages of young people’s education. For example, Ndlovu stated:

Going to campus stopped and everything was online. I couldn’t find any part time work while I was studying, and I can’t find work now no matter how much I try. I can’t find work outside the country because I can’t afford to travel. I am seriously worried about the damage the pandemic has done to the economy and my future as well as the future of my friends who share the same challenges. – Ndlovu; age 23; man

Youth, especially adolescent girls and non-binary participants highlighted the insecurities to education that the pandemic brought. Accessing online education without adequate internet connections or proper technology led many young people to miss many educational experiences. For example:

School attendance has been a problem since we’re not attending every day and my grades have dropped. -Omphile; non-binary

Hardships effects on relationships

Both young men and women talked about how the loss of job or income because of the pandemic affected their relationships. For example, Zola stated:

My partner lost his job and couldn’t support me anymore, that made us fight a lot. - Zola; age 18; man

Another participant ‘Ada’ similarly stated:

My partner lost his job, and I am selling food and fruits in the streets, so my partner when he is angry, he hit me, but now [it is] better. - Ada; age 22; woman

Economic insecurities and lack of employment opportunities for young men was commonly discussed by young men and their partners.

Positive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Finally, while government restrictions were mostly discussed negatively, some youth, particularly young women, spoke of the positive effects that they experienced, considering the challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic. These positive effects included the benefits of government policies and silver linings to government restrictions. For example, one participant, Lindiwe, discussed how increases in social grant support during COVID were helpful:

It was a bit hard at home, but at least the grant money was raised so it also helped. -Lindiwe, age 20, woman

Similarly, another young woman, Zuri, highlighted how beneficial the COVID relief grant was for them:

Yes. I would say it [the pandemic] has affected me positively as I am unemployed but managed to have an income of R350 from the government. This R350 is making a huge impact as I am able to buy cosmetics and assist where I can at home as there is no one who is working currently. –Zuri, age 22, woman

Another participant, Busi, discussed the positive effect that online learning had on them:

In a good way sometimes in terms of school studying online has helped because I watch the video multiple times for me to understand rather than being in a lecture hall it’s hard for me having to listen/study there, COVID has [taught us] to appreciate life and has taught the importance of listening to instructions to keep yourself and those around you safe. -Busi, age 21, woman

These quotes highlight the resilience of youth in the face of adversity. They may also highlight other ways that the pandemic disproportionately affected or privileged different groups of youth based on income and other sources of support.

The three themes identified in our study reflect the diverse and complex ways the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the lives of young people in eThekwini. The experiences mentioned by participants in our study are congruent with many of the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted in the available literature on South African youth [ 13 , 30 , 31 , 32 ] and low-and-middle-income (LMICs) youth experiences [ 7 , 33 , 34 ] where the effects on mental health, education, and socio-economics have been key findings [ 35 ].

Our results provide insights into the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on South African youth, aligning with existing research on the subject [ 36 , 37 ]. Furthermore, results highlight how these mental health declines are likely influenced by the amount of loss experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. These negative mental health outcomes include not only the grief and trauma associated with COVID-19 related deaths, but also the secondary effects on economic, job, and educational insecurities due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Disenfranchised grief, relating to unacknowledged loss [ 38 , 39 ], adds a unique dimension, particularly in LMICs like South Africa, where traditional mourning practices that hold significant cultural and social significance were disrupted due to pandemic restrictions [ 38 , 39 ].

Many youth in our study lost caregivers, potentially disrupting their support systems and exacerbating mental health challenges [ 40 ]. Additionally, the pandemic heightened socio-economic instability, most notably food insecurity, particularly affecting urban youth [ 32 ]. Addressing these issues, including limited job opportunities and food insecurities, is crucial for mitigating the pandemics’ negative effects on youth mental health.

Our findings underscore the significant emotional toll that the pandemic has taken on young people, with many reporting increased levels of fear, stress, anxiety, and depression. The mental health issues raised by youth in our study align with concerns raised by South African healthcare workers and underscore the need for improved mental health support for youth. Mental health vulnerabilities among youth in our study are especially concerning as mental health issues and linked sexual and reproductive health concerns among youth in South Africa were already high pre-pandemic [ 41 , 42 , 43 ].

Despite the hardships, some youth reported positive experiences, such as thriving in online learning environments and a newfound appreciation for life during lockdown. These instances highlight the resilience of South African youth and point to areas of post-traumatic growth that have been seen in the context of the pandemic among young people across the globe [ 44 , 45 ]. However, results should be interpreted with caution as it is likely that the positive effects to online learning were only available to more well-off youth who had access to stable and consistent internet.

Implications and recommendations

These findings underscore the profound and extensive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on South African youth, offering valuable insights to guide efforts in supporting and safeguarding this vulnerable demographic. Moreover, these insights have significant implications for public health, particularly in understanding the pandemic’s effect on youth health and wellbeing in eThekwini. The pandemic worsened pre-existing mental health conditions and gave rise to more, underscoring the importance of ensuring that young people can access the necessary support and resources. This could include therapy, counselling, support groups, education and awareness campaigns that promote mental health and wellness [ 46 , 47 ]. Additionally, recognising that trauma and grief significantly contribute to mental health issues among youth, tailored trauma-aware Footnote 1 approaches are crucial [ 48 ]. Furthermore, as a substantial portion of these mental health repercussions stem from heightened socioeconomic instability, public health policies and interventions should prioritise economic revitalisation for youth in the region. These policies and interventions include financial support for youth and their families, education and career development programs, and initiatives promoting health and wellness, including access to nutritious food [ 49 ], physical activity [ 50 ], and comprehensive support [ 51 , 52 ]. Twenty-eight million South Africans, nearly half of the population (47%), receive social grants, with 10 million South Africans age > 18 years old receiving the COVID-19 special relief grant of R350 monthly [ 53 ]. Available financial support to South African youth is crucial to South Africa’s development with young people aged 18–34 constituting almost a third of the population [ 54 ]; being the next working generation, their health and wellbeing is vital.

Strengths and limitations

Several strengths and limitations of our study should be noted. A strength is that even though the open-ended study question was presented at the end of a relatively lengthy survey, many youth still wrote detailed responses. This analysis of open-ended text responses allowed our team to capture detailed and nuanced experiences of youth, highlighting the importance of analysing such data.

There are several limitations to our study methodology. While analysing and presenting participants’ words shared in questionnaire data is an essential element of community-based research practices, the analysis of the free-form text is limited in that it does not allow for the use of specific measures typically used by qualitative researchers to enhance rigour. For example, we could not explore youth perceptions using live prompts, which is a common practice in collecting qualitative interview data [ 55 ]. Use of live prompts help to enhance the fidelity of researchers’ interpretations of the data to meanings originally intended by participants. Additional research would benefit from longitudinal follow-up studies that could help expand on comments and experiences raised by respondents in our study using focus-groups or interviews to substantiate and broaden the insights presented in this paper. Furthermore, efforts are needed to explore the long-term effects of grief experienced by youth during the pandemic. Additional research on ensuring access to health and social protection during pandemics is vital.

Our findings shed light on the profound grief and hardships experienced by youth in eThekwini due to the COVID-19 pandemic, encompassing both direct losses from family members’ COVID-19 deaths and the subsequent mental health effects resulting from pandemic-induced socioeconomic consequences. These insights contribute to the existing literature on COVID-19’s mental health effects on South African youth. Results emphasise the need for comprehensive, youth-centred approaches to addressing economic and mental health challenges within their unique socioeconomic, cultural, and historical contexts. By considering these findings, public health professionals and policymakers can develop programs and policies that support and protect the health and well-being of this vulnerable population.

Data availability

The de-identified data cannot be publicly shared as we do not have approval from the community or research ethics board. Researchers or trainees who wish to access the data should contact Dr. Angela Kaida ([email protected]) to request access.

Here we use the terminology of “trauma aware” rather than the perhaps more commonly known phrasing of “trauma-informed”. As others have noted, the language of “Trauma aware” reflects humility and understanding that even those who are not experts in addressing trauma can still practice in sensitive ways that demonstrate an awareness of the pervasiveness of trauma experiences among key populations and pursue strategies that centre physical, psychological, emotional safety.

Abbreviations

Low and middle-income country

Lambert H, Gupte J, Fletcher H, Hammond L, Lowe N, Pelling M, et al. COVID-19 as a global challenge: towards an inclusive and sustainable future. Lancet Planet Health. 2020;4(8):e312–4.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

UNESCO. UNSDG _ policy Brief_ Education during COVID-19 and beyond. UNITED NATIONS; 2020.

United, Nations. Highlights 2021–2022: towards Sustainable Development for all New York. New York department of economic and social Afairs Afairs DoEaS; 2022.

Desmond C, Sherr L, Cluver L. Covid-19: accelerating recovery. https://doi.org/10.1080/1745012820201766731 . 2020;16(1):1–6.

Patton GC, Sawyer SM, Santelli JS, Ross DA, Afifi R, Allen NB, et al. Our future: a Lancet commission on adolescent health and wellbeing. Lancet. 2016;387(10036):2423–78.

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Sawyer SM, Afifi RA, Bearinger LH, Blakemore SJ, Dick B, Ezeh AC, et al. Adolescence: a foundation for future health. Lancet (London England). 2012;379(9826):1630–40.

Rogobete E. COVID-19 Youth Survey: Report. Global Shapers Community, The International Federation of Medical Students’ Assocaitions, Health and Information Literacy Access Alliance. 2020.

United Nations. UN Secretary-General’s policy brief: The impact of COVID-19 on women | Digital library: Publications | UN Women – Headquarters. 2020.

Cazes S, Hijzen A, Saint-Martin A. Measuring and Assessing Job Quality. 2015.

Puerto S, Gardiner D, Bausch J. Youth and COVID-19: impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being: survey report 2020. 2020.

Baird S, Seager J, Tauseef S. The effect of COVID-19 on Economic Participation and Human Capital Development of Youth Living in Urban Slums in Bangladesh. Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence [Internet]; 2021.

Google Scholar  

The World Bank. Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) Database (Global Findex) | Data Catalog. 2022.

Gittings L, Toska E, Medley S, Cluver L, Logie CH, Ralayo N et al. ‘Now my life is stuck!’: Experiences of adolescents and young people during COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa. https://doiorg/101080/1744169220211899262. 2021;16(6):947 – 63.

Statistics South Africa. General Household Survey 2019. South Africa, Africa DoSS;: Pretoria; 2021. Report No.

O’Cathain A, Thomas KJ. Any other comments? Open questions on questionnaires - a bane or a bonus to research? BMC Med Res Methodol. 2004;4(1):1–7.

Decorte T, Malm A, Sznitman SR, Hakkarainen P, Barratt MJ, Potter GR et al. The challenges and benefits of analyzing feedback comments in surveys: lessons from a cross-national online survey of small-scale cannabis growers. Methodological Innovations. 2019;12(1).

World Health Organization. COVID19 Cases 2023 https://who.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/0c9b3a8b68d0437a8cf28581e9c063a9 .

National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Weekly Epidemiological Brief - NICD 2022 https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/disease-index-covid-19/surveillance-reports/weekly-epidemiological-brief/ .

Lee J-Y, Tsai C-S, Hsu C-C, Khambule I. Territorial Impact and Responses to COVID-19 in South Africa: Case Studies of eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality and KwaDukuza Local Municipality. World 2022, Vol 3, Pages 513–529. 2022;3(3):513 – 29.

KZN Health. Coronavirus (COVID-19) 2023. https://www.kznhealth.gov.za/coronavirus.htm .

Statistics South Africa. Mid-year Population estimates in: statistics, editor. South Africa: Pretoria; 2019.

Statistics South Africa. In: Africa SS, editor. Mid-year Population estimates. South Africa: Pretoria; 2022.

Stiegler N, Bouchard J-P, editors. South Africa: challenges and successes of the COVID-19 lockdown. Annales Médico-psychologiques, revue psychiatrique. Elsevier; 2020.

South African Government. COVID-19/Coronovirus 2023. https://www.gov.za/Coronavirus .

Braun V, Clarke V, Gray D. Innovations in qualitative methods. In: Gough B, editor. The Palgrave handbook of critical social psychology. London: Palgrave Macmillan; 2017. pp. 243–66.

Chapter   Google Scholar  

Braun V, Clarke V, Boulton E, Davey L, McEvoy C. The online survey as a qualitative research tool. Int J Soc Res Methodol. 2021;24(6):641–54.

Article   Google Scholar  

Achoki T, Sartorius B, Watkins D, Glenn SD, Kengne AP, Oni T, et al. Health trends, inequalities and opportunities in South Africa’s provinces, 1990–2019: findings from the global burden of Disease 2019 study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2022;76(5):471–81.

Braun V, Clarke V. One size fits all? What counts as quality practice in (reflexive) thematic analysis? Qualitative Res Psychol. 2021;18(3):328–52.

Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI). Beyond the Binary in British Columbia: A Guide. 2024.

Duby Z, Bunce B, Fowler C, Bergh K, Jonas K, Dietrich JJ et al. Intersections between COVID-19 and Socio-economic mental health stressors in the lives of South African adolescent girls and Young women. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Mental Health. 2022;16(1).

Rwafa-Ponela T, Price J, Nyatela A, Nqakala S, Mosam A, Erzse A et al. We were afraid: Mental Health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in two South African districts. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(15).

VanVolkenburg H, Vandeplas I, Toure K, Sanfo S, Balde FL, Vasseur L. Do COVID-19 and food insecurity influence existing inequalities between women and men in Africa? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(4).

Ogueji IA, Agberotimi SF, Adesanya BJ, Gidado TN. Mental health and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of unemployed and employed people in Nigeria. Analyses Social Issues Public Policy. 2021;21(1):941–59.

Ramaiya A, Chandra-Mouli V, Both R, Gottert A, Guglielmi S, Beckwith S, et al. Assessing the health, social, educational and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a rapid review of the literature. Sex Reprod Health Matters. 2023;31(1):2187170.

United Nations. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022. New York; 2022.

Banati P, Jones N, Youssef S. Intersecting vulnerabilities: the impacts of COVID-19 on the psycho-emotional lives of Young people in low- and Middle-Income Countries. Eur J Dev Res. 2020:1–26.

Idele P, Banati P. We are all in this together: COVID-19 and a call to Action for Mental Health of Children and adolescents. Front Psychiatry. 2020;11:589834.

Albuquerque S, Teixeira AM, Rocha JC. COVID-19 and disenfranchised grief. Front Psychiatry. 2021;12:638874.

Kumar N, Janmohamed K, Nyhan K, Forastiere L, Zhang WH, Kagesten A, et al. Sexual health (excluding reproductive health, intimate partner violence and gender-based violence) and COVID-19: a scoping review. Sex Transm Infect. 2021;97(6):402–10.

Roberts KJS, Du Toit S, Mawoyo T, Tomlinson M, Cluver LD, Skeen S, et al. Protocol for the OCAY study: a cohort study of orphanhood and caregiver loss in the COVID-19 era to explore the impact on children and adolescents. BMJ open. 2023;13(6):e071023.

Barhafumwa B, Dietrich J, Closson K, Samji H, Cescon A, Nkala B, et al. High prevalence of depression symptomology among adolescents in Soweto, South Africa associated with being female and cofactors relating to HIV transmission. Vulnerable Child Youth Stud. 2016;11(3):263–73.

Jesson J, Dietrich J, Beksinska M, Closson K, Nduna M, Smit J, et al. Food insecurity and depression: a cross-sectional study of a multi-site urban youth cohort in Durban and Soweto, South Africa. Trop Med Int Health. 2021;26(6):687–700.

Pakhomova TE, Dietrich JJ, Closson K, Smit J, Hornschuh S, Smith P, et al. Intimate Partner Violence, Depression, and anxiety are Associated with higher perceived stress among both Young men and women in Soweto and Durban, South Africa. Front Reproductive Health. 2021;3:6.

Jian Y, Hu T, Zong Y, Tang W. Relationship between post-traumatic disorder and posttraumatic growth in COVID-19 home-confined adolescents: the moderating role of self-efficacy. Curr Psychol. 2022.

Zhen R, Zhou X. Latent patterns of posttraumatic stress symptoms, Depression, and Posttraumatic Growth among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Trauma Stress. 2022;35(1):197–209.

Bradshaw M, Gericke H, Coetzee BJ, Stallard P, Human S, Loades M. Universal school-based mental health programmes in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Prev Med. 2021;143:106317.

Ogueji IA, Okoloba MM, Demoko Ceccaldi BM. Coping strategies of individuals in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Psychol. 2022;41(11):7493–9.

Javakhishvili JD, Ardino V, Bragesjö M, Kazlauskas E, Olff M, Schäfer I. Trauma-informed responses in addressing public mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic: position paper of the European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). Eur J Psychotraumatology. 2020;11(1):1780782.

Dyke E, Pénicaud S, Hatchard J, Dawson AM, Munishi O, Jalal C. Girl-powered Nutrition Program: key themes from a formative evaluation of a Nutrition Program co-designed and implemented by adolescent girls in low- and Middle-Income Countries. Curr Developments Nutr. 2021;5(7).

Bonnema J, Coetzee D, Lennox A. Effect of a Three-Month HOPSports Brain Breaks ® Intervention Program on the Physical Fitness Levels of Grade 6-Learners in South Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(18).

Gilberds H, Brown A, Leclair M, Thadzi T, Burnham K. Interactive radio Program Report An Integrated Approach to addressing the issue of Youth Depression in Malawi and Tanzania Acknowledgements. Farm Radio International; 2016.

Thupayagale-Tshweneagae G, Mokomane Z. Evaluation of a peer-based mental health support program for adolescents orphaned by AIDS in South Africa. Japan J Nurs Science: JJNS. 2014;11(1):44–53.

South African Social Security Agency. South African Security Agency Annual Performance Plan 2022–2023. Department of Social Development 2023.

Africa SS. Vulnerability if youth in South African labour market Pretoria, South Africa2020 [updated June 24, 2020. https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=13379 .

Creswell JW, Poth CN. Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five appraoches. 4th ed. SAGE; 2018.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the youth who shared their stories with us. Also, thank you to all the staff and community advisory members who supported this research. The views expressed in this manuscript are the authors’ own.

This work was supported by the Centre for International Child Health (CICH) through the generous support of the British Columbia Children’s Hospital Foundation, Canada. JJD is funding by the South African Medical Research Council through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the Early Investigators Programme from funding received from the South African National Treasury as well as the CIPHER GROWING THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW grant from the International AIDS Society. The content hereof is the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the SAMRC. KC is supported by a Canadian Institute for Health Research Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

Kalysha Closson, Erica Dong, Tatiana Pakhomova & Angela Kaida

Center of Gender Equity and Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States

Kalysha Closson

Wits MRU (MatCH Research Unit), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, South Africa

Bongiwe Zulu & Mags Beksinska

Center for Epidemiology and Research in POPulation Health (CERPOP), Inserm, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France

Julie Jesson

Perinatal HIV Research Unit (PHRU), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Janan J. Dietrich & Campion Zharima

Health Systems Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Bellville, South Africa

Janan J. Dietrich

African Social Sciences Unit of Research and Evaluation (ASSURE), Wits Health Consortium, Johannesburg, South Africa

Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

Campion Zharima

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Contributions

Conceptualisation: KC; Data Curation: KC, BZ, JJ; Formal Analysis: KC, ED; Analysis Support: CZ, TP, BZ, AK, JJ; Funding Acquisition: AK, JJD, MB, KC, JJ; Project administration: BZ; Writing- original draft: KC, ED; Writing- review and editing: KC, ED, CZ, TP, BZ, JJ, JJD, MB, AK.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kalysha Closson .

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval and consent to participate.

Participants were provided with an electronic consent letter, detailing the purpose of the survey, benefits and risk for participation, and key contacts for further questions before accessing the questionnaire. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. A list of resources including online and in-person local mental health and sexual and reproductive health care support services, were provided at the end of the questionnaire. Ethical approval was provided by the Simon Fraser University Research Ethics Board and the University of British Columbia Behavioural Research Ethics Board (REB number: H21-02027), and by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee (Wits HREC-Medical) in South Africa (REB number: M210863). All study methods were performed in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary Material 1

Rights and permissions.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ ) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article.

Closson, K., Dong, E., Zulu, B. et al. ‘ Life became harder with COVID-19 ’: exploring the experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic among youth living in eThekwini district, South Africa. BMC Public Health 24 , 1922 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19238-7

Download citation

Received : 10 November 2023

Accepted : 24 June 2024

Published : 17 July 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19238-7

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Adolescents
• South Africa
• Health equity

BMC Public Health

ISSN: 1471-2458

• General enquiries: [email protected]

• Health Tech
• Health Insurance
• Medical Devices
• Gene Therapy
• Neuroscience
• H5N1 Bird Flu
• Health Disparities
• Infectious Disease
• Mental Health
• Cardiovascular Disease
• Chronic Disease
• Alzheimer's
• Coercive Care
• The Obesity Revolution
• The War on Recovery
• Adam Feuerstein
• Matthew Herper
• Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu
• Ed Silverman
• CRISPR Tracker
• Breakthrough Device Tracker
• Generative AI Tracker
• Obesity Drug Tracker
• 2024 STAT Summit
• Wunderkinds Nomination
• STAT Madness
• STAT Brand Studio

Don't miss out

Subscribe to STAT+ today, for the best life sciences journalism in the industry

Readers respond to essays on philanthropy and nursing schools, opioid overdoses, and more

By Patrick Skerrett July 20, 2024

F irst Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and maybe even provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others.

To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to the Editor received in response to them. You can submit a Letter to the Editor here , or find the submission form at the end of any First Opinion essay.

advertisement

“Why aren’t philanthropists stepping up to make nursing education free?” by Tracy R. Vitale and Caroline Dorsen

The shortage of nursing faculty at both the associate degree in nursing and the bachelor of science in nursing levels, primarily due to salary structures, has been well documented for at least a couple decades within nursing and health care access advocate circles. Where it’s not known — at least not with a powerful and energized message — is within the circles of college and university development offices and community foundation fundraisers. People of wealth have both personal and professional connections to nursing, whether as practitioners, patients, family members, or community leaders. The full-bore messaging and cultivation of these donors and funders just isn’t out there. Without an active change in strategies, the current pleas aren’t going to get us where we need to go. Time to regroup!

— Allen Smart, PhilanthropywoRx

It’s a shame that more philanthropists don’t support nursing education. But nursing schools are also to blame due in part to the arrogance of the requirement that a prospective nurse repeat anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 and microbiology if it’s been more than 5 years since she or he has taken those courses. I have repeated those courses once and earned “A” grades in them. I was in my nursing clinicals when Covid-19 shut everything down. Now I can’t afford the tuition and I refuse to repeat those classes. There is no such requirement for medical school. It’s the nursing school and society’s loss: I would have been a great nurse!

— Thomas Martin

A major issue has to do with the lack of nurse educators. I obtained my MSN-Ed with the idea of becoming a nursing school educator, but was unable to financially make this transition. Nursing school educators make significantly less than patient care nurses. Lack of instructors is why many who are interested in becoming nurses are turned away.

— Kim Blanton, retired

“Functional neurological disorder is not an appropriate diagnosis for people with long Covid,” by David Tuller, Mady Hornig, and David Putrino

I have struggled with a neurological disability for 21 years. It came to a head following an adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine and development of long Covid (though I am grateful that the vaccine protected me from earlier strains of the virus). Since that fateful day in February 2021, I have been rushed to an emergency department 29 times. And while I have been shown true humane and compassionate care by professionals working during the Covid pandemic, I was also repeatedly gaslit, mislabeled, and prevented from receiving the care I should have.

I’m not alone: An April 15, 2024,  research letter in JAMA  reported that nearly 1 in 4 patients in more than 29 hospitals had misdiagnoses or delays in diagnostic work-ups because of stigmatizing language in their medical records.

As a social worker who believes in social justice, I wonder how many people with long Covid symptoms — like those with chronic fatigue syndrome and Lyme disease and post-viral illness — have been dismissed, and their symptoms overlooked, and their care options missed. In hope for change, I rest my heart on the wisdom from a moving self-reflective medical narrative by Dr. Wes Ely in his book, “Every Deep Drawn Breath.”  He wrote, “Many people believe medicine is grounded in  benevolence , which is  wishing good . It is more than that. The target principle of medicine must be a higher standard:  beneficence .  Doing good .” As he shares this, it is the covenant of all health care professionals to practice with self-reflection, humane connection, and compassion, make diagnostic queries with curiosity and care, and avoid labeling and words that harm, pathologize and damage.

— Kate Nicoll, LCSW

“Medicare drug pricing rules will delay access to promising therapies,” by Peter Rheinstein

Yes. We already have a problem with the lack of incentives to improve the use of drugs approved decades ago before we had the current tools of modern pharmacology. We fail at personalized medicine for such drugs which can improve both safety and efficacy. Research costs money and price controls will discourage more of the real-world evidence that requires better measurement for better dosing decisions in individuals.

— Peter T. Kissinger, Purdue University + Inotiv + Phlebotics

“Doctors ‘overprescribing’ opioids isn’t the cause of the overdose epidemic — and it never was,” by Richard A. “Red” Lawhern

Casey Heely of Brandeis University has protested what she believes is “over-simplification” on my part of the causes of the U.S. opioid crisis. In response to her concern, I would observe that major pharma companies clearly overpromoted the safety of prescription opioids. But data published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention establish beyond any rational contradiction that any contribution of prescriptions opioids was strictly at the margins of a much larger crisis driven by street drugs. Restrictions on the availability of prescription opioids have actually made the crisis worse, by driving desperate patients into street markets.

Over-prescribing was never the major factor in the rising rates of opioid overdose deaths. That distinction belongs to illegally manufactured fentanyl and heroin. Prescription opioids get lost in the noise.

— Richard A. Lawhern, Ph.D.

About the Author Reprints

Patrick skerrett.

Acting First Opinion Editor

Patrick Skerrett is filling in as editor of First Opinion , STAT's platform for perspective and opinion on the life sciences writ large, and host of the First Opinion Podcast .

drug pricing

STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect

To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page .

Recommended

Recommended Stories

NIDA should beware of funding companies that violate people’s privacy

The newest tool to prevent STIs is not available to everyone: A call for participatory and inclusive research

STAT Plus: Broad Institute, facing end of Microsoft cloud contract, shuffles data science leadership

STAT Plus: A cancer care startup is making a new bet with payers and providers: only pay if it works

STAT Plus: Top FDA officials weighing regulation of ultra-processed foods, internal documents show

Advertisement

Supported by

What Undecided Voters Thought of Trump’s Speech: Mostly, Not Much

The former president did not win them over — not that they like the alternative.

• Share full article

By Julie Bosman ,  Jack Healy ,  Eduardo Medina ,  Campbell Robertson and J. David Goodman

Former President Donald J. Trump began his prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday with a message of unity, presenting a softer image of himself that appeared aimed at courting undecided voters.

But then he went on for an hour and a half, a long verbal walk through the kinds of exaggerations about his record and attacks on Democrats that have become familiar to voters from Mr. Trump’s previous two campaigns and presidency.

For a group of undecided voters from around the country, who are sharing their thoughts on key moments in the race with The New York Times, the effect was not strong. Some found the speech off-putting. A few found bright spots. None were swayed.

“I still don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Sharon Reed, 77, a retired teacher-turned-farmer in rural Pennsylvania who previously voted for Mr. Trump but is torn this year. “He tried, I think, to be much more unifying at the beginning. But then he got on his high horse there at the end.”

Ms. Reed’s husband, who watched the speech with her and is leaning toward Mr. Trump, was somewhat more positive. “He’s hitting all the points that I like,” Mr. Reed said, mentioning in particular Mr. Trump’s talk about securing the border and “drill, baby, drill.”

Arnel Ramos, 21, a food service worker living in Milwaukee, had hoped that Mr. Trump would talk about his belief systems, and that she would get to know him better before she casts a ballot in her first presidential election.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .