{"id":118973,"date":"2020-10-28T09:05:44","date_gmt":"2020-10-28T08:05:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=118973"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:11","slug":"self-isolating-in-huize-bommel-we-talk-to-each-other-from-the-doorway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/10\/28\/self-isolating-in-huize-bommel-we-talk-to-each-other-from-the-doorway\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-isolating in Huize Bommel<\/em>: \u2018We talk to each other from the doorway\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The residents of Huize Bommel<\/em>, a house occupied by NSR student society members, always took great care not to catch the coronavirus. They never joined large gatherings and never invited too many people over at once. Nevertheless, all four young men had to start self-isolating after a friend of theirs tested positive for coronavirus. So how are they getting through their ten-day quarantine?<\/p>\n

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From left to right: Martijn, Jorim, Robert en Jarn\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMilena Chopova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

It all started when 21-year-old Robert, an econometrics student, developed mild symptoms. \u201cI had a slight cough, but because I\u2019m allergic to house dust mites and hadn\u2019t cleaned my room in a while, I initially thought that was what was causing it,\u201d he told EM. \u201cThen we heard that a friend who had visited us the day before had tested positive. So I applied for a test as soon as possible. By now, both Jorim and I have tested positive, and Martijn is still waiting for his test results.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI came down with a cold last Sunday evening and my throat was a bit sore,\u201d said 24-year-old Jorim, who graduated last year and is currently training to become an economics teacher. \u201cThat often happens to me in winter, and if this had happened a year ago, I would have been fine going to work. But since Robert had had that friend over, I decided to get tested anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fourth resident of Huize Bommel, Jarn\u00e9, 23, is in his final year of the Willem de Kooning Academy\u2019s advertising degree and is the only one of the four young men who has not had any symptoms. \u201cI\u2019m the last man standing,\u201d he said, laughing. \u201cI\u2019m not necessarily afraid of catching the virus, but it would be a pity if I were to be infected, say, a day before we are allowed to stop self-isolating.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jarn\u00e9<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMilena Chopova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Resident chef<\/h2>

Robert does not mind spending a lot of time in his room this week, because he was planning to spend the week revising for an exam anyway, but Jorim was about to have a week off. \u201cThis was not quite what I had in mind for this week,\u201d he told us. \u201cI was planning to meet up with a lot of people, but now I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I heard we all had to self-isolate, I didn\u2019t really mind at first,\u201d said Martijn, 21, a third-year IBCOM student. \u201cDuring the first lockdown, we had a pretty good time together. But obviously, this quarantine is very different. Now we have to take care not to infect each other, so we are keeping our distance from each other. Because if we do infect each other, we will have to self-isolate even longer. So basically, we all spend the majority of our time in our own rooms, and sometimes we talk to each other from the doorway.\u201d<\/p>\n

To prevent themselves from infecting each other or others, the students have implemented several rules. \u201cThe first thing we do when we leave our rooms is disinfect our hands,\u201d says Robert. \u201cJarn\u00e9 does the opposite: he disinfects his hands before entering his room. He also gets to cook for us every night, because having an infected person prepare food for someone without any symptoms is not a good idea. Fortunately, he so happens to be our resident chef.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Robert<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMilena Chopova<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Grocery deliveries<\/h2>

Getting groceries turned out to be a bit of a challenge, as well. \u201cThe evening we heard that Jorim had tested positive, we wanted to order groceries online,\u201d Jarn\u00e9 told us. \u201cWe came up with a huge list of groceries totalling 200 euros, and then we discovered that not a single supermarket offers quick deliveries. Both Albert Heijn and Jumbo take a week to deliver an order. In the end I put on a face mask and went to the supermarket myself. At first I was happy to leave the house for a bit, but because we needed so many things, it took me an hour and a half to get everything. That was the first and last time I left the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boys will continue to self-isolate until Thursday. So what is the first thing they will do once they are allowed to leave their rooms again? \u201cWe will definitely organise a good flatmates\u2019 night,\u201d Martijn said without hesitation. As a matter of fact, it will be the last flatmates\u2019 night for Jarn\u00e9, because he will be moving out next month. \u201cAfter ten days\u2019 quarantine I\u2019ll be completely fed up with it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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