After a long start to her senior fall semester, Ariana Vazquez, like most Lab students, was ready to spend a relaxing winter break with her family. But when her nine-year-old brother Julian tested positive for COVID-19, her family time turned into weeks of closed doors and online connections. 

During the rapid spread of the omicron coronavirus variant, some Lab families found ways to connect over the winter holidays through the barricade of isolation.

Though the world was counting down the days until 2022, Ariana said the weeks she and her family spent self-isolating at home felt more like the spring of 2020.

“It was very boring. It reminded me of the first [lockdown],” Ariana said. “It was just a little weird, not being able to go outside and hang out as a family, especially because my older sister had just gotten home.”

The outbreak of omicron also complicated many families’ travel plans, leading some to cancel, extend or otherwise adjust their trips around positivity rates and positive tests. 

Chemistry teacher Zachary Hund had already decided not to spend the holidays with his extended family, even before members of his immediate family tested positive for COVID-19. 

“It definitely feels like a letdown and a completely different experience,” Dr. Hund said.  “You’re able to call them and talk to them over the phone to see how they’re doing, but it’s not the same.”

Families were able to find some silver linings to break up the repetitive days of isolation. Ariana and her sister made sure Julian got in some quality time with his siblings in the typical spring 2020 fashion.

“Like the first quarantine, we played a lot of, like, games online together. And then a lot of Netflix Party. Just so my brother could, like, feel involved, so he didn’t feel left out,” Ariana said. “We worked around it.”

Junior Sydney Tyler and her family arrived in New York on the night of Dec. 15, just after Sydney had recovered from COVID-19, when her mom and brother both tested positive. Although the family was stuck inside, they spent the majority of their trip relaxing and watching movies together.

While Dr. Hund may have developed a mild case of cabin fever during long days inside with his two young kids, he was grateful to have the opportunity to spend more time with his kids. 

“You get a little stir crazy. I love my children to death, but 10 days without really leaving the house is a lot of time together. And when it’s also freezing cold out,” Dr. Hund said. “I mean, I do appreciate it, looking back, getting to spend a lot of time with my 4-year-old and 6-year-old. But I’m glad to be back out of the house.”