Covid Tracker – January 26-27

Logo Design by Sarah Feuer, Photo by Benjamin Gamson

POLL: View a slideshow of poll results by clicking through the Gallery box below.

By Benjamin Gamson, Eli Weiss, and Molly Litvak
January 30, 2021

This week, the number of students and staff who said that they had ever tested positive for Covid-19 went down — from 11 in the poll that was conducted two weeks ago to nine this week, reflecting a change in the people who choose to participate in the poll. The percentage also decreased from 8.6% of 128 respondents Jan. 5 to 6.6% of 136 respondents on Jan. 26.

However, the number and percentage of students and staff who said they had been exposed to coronavirus increased, from 37 people (28.9%%) in the Jan. 5 tracker to 40 people (29.4%) this week.

The Boiling Point is conducting a Covid-19 tracking project to watch how Covid cases are progressing not only at school but among friends, family and personal acquaintances of Shalhevet community members.

The survey is not scientific. Originally it was posted whenever there was a Town Hall, but it is now published every other week, and community members including students, faculty and staff have until midnight the following night to respond.

This week’s poll was posted (and linked on Schoology and in other school chats) Jan. 26 – 27. There were 136 students and staff who responded.

The numbers and percentage of students and staff who responded that someone in their own household had had Covid-19 also increased, from 17 people (13.3%) in the Jan. 5 tracker to 22 people (16.2%) this week.

And the percentage of community members who know someone who has contracted Covid-19 also increased between these two polls, though the percentage decreased — from 117 (91.4%) people to 123 (90.4%) people this week.

The percentage of people responding who said they knew personally someone who had died from the illness decreased from 36.7% (47 of 128) to 18.4% (25 of 136). This compares with 40 students and staff who knew someone who had died when the Boiling Point Covid Tracker was initiated Oct. 13- 14. That poll had 143 respondents.

Now that vaccine distribution is underway, the Covid Tracker has added a question asking whether the respondent or anyone in their household has received it.

This week, 26.5% (36) of respondents answered that they or someone in their household had received one dose, and 13.2% (18) people responded saying two doses. That left 60.3% (82) who said either that no one in their household had received any doses or that they were unsure.

Meet the Writer

Benjamin Gamson, News Editor

Benjamin Gamson joined the Boiling Point during his freshman year as a staff writer and became Polling Director during the second semester of freshman year, in his sophomore year Benjamin currently serves as News Editor. Outside of Boiling Point, Benjamin is a member of the Shalhevet Model Congress team and is a grade representative for the Agenda Committee. While not in school, Benjamin enjoys following politics, current events, baseball, and listening to music.

Eli Weiss, Digital Media Editor

Eli joined Boiling Point in his first semester as a freshman. Quickly becoming involved, he became assistant web editor in his second semester, during which he helped redesign the website and get the Boiling Point to become a SNO Distinguished Site for the first time.

Besides web design, Eli does design and makes photographs for the Boiling Point. Outside of Boiling Point, Eli is a programmer of the Shalhevet robotics team and a grade representative for the Agenda committee. While not in school, Eli enjoys playing guitar, harmonica and listening to music.

Molly Litvak, Editor-in-Chief

Molly Litvak joined the Boiling Point in her freshman year as a staff writer and quickly fell in love with journalism. She was Community editor in her junior year, and Outside News editor in sophomore year, where she won multiple national awards for her stories, especially for her report on anti-gentrification protests at Asher Caffe in Boyle Heights. Outside of writing, editing, and leading meetings for the Boiling Point, Molly is the captain of Shalhevet’s Model Congress team, a senior lawyer on the Mock Trial team, and a teen board member of Friendship Circle, where she has been volunteering since seventh grade.