The OCU campus recently had two positive cases of COVID-19.
In a March 31 email, the OCU’s Communications Office notified the student body that a student and a staff member had been on campus while infected with COVID-19.
“Oklahoma City University has received reports of two positive cases of COVID-19 in our campus community. An OCU student, who was last on campus March 24, and a contract employee, have tested positive. Both individuals are now in self-quarantine off campus,” the email read.
According to the email, university officials took all measures to disinfect the areas of the campus where the student and the staff member came into contact.
“OCU is following all university COVID-19 health protocols, including ensuring everyone who was in contact with these individuals during the risk period has been notified,” the email read. “All related facilities and equipment are also being sanitized.”
Alexandra Eckelbarger, acting sophomore, is the student that tested positive with COVID-19. She said she was in her apartment in Cokesbury Court Apartments packing to leave when she began to experience symptoms.
“I had a really bad sore throat, and I was kind of stuffed up,” she said. “I had a headache and it felt like I had an ear infection, like pressure in my ears, and a chest infection. But my sore throat became the primary problem.”
After she got back home, Eckelbarger said she went to the doctor to check up on her symptoms.
“They tested me for the flu and strep, and those processed pretty quickly. They were like, ‘Yeah, you don’t have those. The doctor, after hearing my symptoms and checking on me, was like, ‘Yeah, we can test you for corona,’” Eckelbarger said. “And he was like, ‘Do you want to be tested?’ And I was like, ‘If you think it’s a good idea, sure, but we could save it for someone else.’ And then he was like, ‘No, we should test you.’”
Eckelbarger said it wasn’t until a couple of days after that appointment that she heard she had tested positive for COVID-19.
“I was in REM sleep, woke up and heard my sister talking to my dad about how I was positive,” she said.
Eckelbarger said the news did not come as a surprise.
“It was chill. I was fine, very on-brand. I fell right back asleep, so I think my brain was fine with it,” she said. “I had already been treating how I felt and quarantined and everything as though I had it because I didn’t think they would test me if they didn’t think I had it. I felt more emotionally unstable when they tested me because I was like, ‘Oh God, what did I do?”
Eckelbarger said having COVID-19 felt like a regular illness.
“It just felt like a glorified flu. It just felt like you were sick. I don’t know how to explain it,” she said. “You’re just drained, and everything hurts and you can’t breathe and you can’t taste anything. It really just felt like a normal sickness.”
Eckelbarger said she contacted the school the next morning. She said she first saw the email the OCU Communications Office sent out through a screenshot on an OCU meme account.
“So, I read the screenshot before I even knew anyone had been told,” she said. “It was a bit terrifying because the people in the comments and the person on @ocumemes22 was like, ‘’Imma need names.’”
The account deleted the post shortly after, Eckelbarger said.
Her life has been relatively unaffected due to the illness, she said.
“It feels like everybody’s new normal, I guess, because I really hadn’t even processed that there was a pandemic. I hadn’t even processed that we can’t go outside and that nobody can see each other. I didn’t really process that because I was sick,” she said. “Now that I’m more conscious of what is going on, it just feels like the world is sick.”
Deanna Cooper, acting sophomore, was one of the people Eckelbarger was in contact with when she was on campus.
“Alex had mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well, and I was like ‘oh no.’ But I wanted to say bye to her before she left, so we went and got breakfast.” Cooper said. “And then, unfortunately, she tested positive, so I realized I had been exposed.”
Cooper said she has experienced some symptoms of the virus, but they went away shortly after.
“I ended up getting a cold, which really freaked me out. And then, I did lose my sense of taste and smell,” she said. “And then my dad, the next week, got the exact same thing that I had last week. I didn’t have any chest symptoms, like I didn’t have any trouble breathing or coughs.”
Cooper said she was never officially tested for COVID-19.
“We both never had symptoms that were bad enough to get tested, and we wouldn’t want to use tests that other people need,” she said. “I think if we did have it, it was a mild case, which we are really lucky for.”
Eckelbarger said she has almost completely recovered from the disease.
“I’m basically done. It’s like when you have the flu or get a cold or something. The majority of it’s gone, but it’s like, ‘I have to clear my throat a lot, and if I move too much, I’ll see stars for an hour,’” she said.
Eckelbarger said she wants people to stay strong and stay at home during this time.
“It’s OK. It’s all going to be OK,” she said. “If you get it, I’m sorry and I hope you get better. If you don’t have it and you aren’t respecting social distancing, just know that there are people less fortunate who are struggling.”
If any other students test positive for COVID-19, make sure to contact Campus Health at (405) 373-2400.
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