As you prepare to attend holiday gatherings at USC, please see this safety tip sheet prepared by USC Environmental Health and Safety on ways to have a safer event when rates of transmission of respiratory illness is higher in the local area.
Category: Latest
Latest Updates and University Messages
The FDA has extended the shelf-life the Flowflex COVID-19 antigen kits distributed by USC Student Health. See the full list from the FDA uscsthealth.info/covidtest-shelflife.
For USC students who need testing to board international flights, please know that testing hours through the Pop Testing (PCR) program currently runs from Monday-Friday; testing is not available on weekends.
Results typically return within 48 hours, but this is not a guaranteed timeframe. Testing offered at USC’s PCR program is designed for screening and diagnosis but not travel services.
Students who have rush needs to meet pre-boarding testing requirements for international flights may need to engage external, commercial testing services (ex: Curative, Testing DX, Hummingbird, 911 COVID Testing); rush charges may not be covered by insurance.
Pick up antigen testing kits for COVID-19: these can be obtained at no cost at the Jefferson Lot testing site, and the Pappas Quad testing site, all students and all employees are eligible to pick up kits. Students may also obtain kits from the CSC desks in USC Housing.
Test pre-and post-exposure: Travel increases risk of exposure, so use a test before traveling, and after arriving. Use a second test 24-48 hours later to confirm your negative status.
Get a flu shot and updated COVID-19 booster: If you have not yet received your immunizations, it is strongly recommended to get updated vaccinations for these illnesses before traveling and meeting with groups of friends and relatives.
It is strongly recommended that you wear a high-quality mask when you are in indoor public settings, including all public transit hubs. Indicators that are monitored by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health have tracked recent increased transmission in Los Angeles, prompting this upgraded recommendation for masking protection. Remembers the “three C’s”: closed indoor spaces with poor air flow, crowded settings, and settings where people are breathing talking or breathing heavily closely together.
Recommendation from the LA County Dept of Public Health: Everyone 5 and older should get one fall updated (bivalent) booster at least 2 months after their last COVID-19 vaccine dose (either the final primary series dose or the last monovalent booster). This is regardless of how many boosters or which type of vaccine(s) they got in the…
COVID-19 rebound is when people with COVID-19 get better, then begin to get symptoms 2-8 days after they have recovered. They may also test positive again. If your COVID-19 symptoms come back or get worse after you have ended isolation, you must isolate yourself from others again. You can end isolation for COVID-19 rebound 5…
9/23/22—As the COVID-19 case rate in Los Angeles County has dropped in community-level transmission, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has revised guidelines on mask requirements and recommendations.
Masks are required in health care settings (including the Engemann and Eric Cohen student health centers, COVID-19 testing sites, the USC Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, USC Pharmacies, and other patient care settings on campus). They are also required for individuals who have COVID-19 (through day 10), or have had close contact with someone who has COVID-19 (for 10 days following exposure).
Masks are strongly recommended on all forms of public transit, including trains, buses, shuttle buses, and ride-shares. Masks are an individual preference in all other indoor public settings.
Sept. 1, 2022—CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, M.D., M.P.H., endorsed the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendations for use of updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and older.
Updated COVID-19 boosters add Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 spike protein components to the current vaccine composition, helping to restore protection that has waned since previous vaccination by targeting variants that are more transmissible and immune-evading. Read the full CDC announcement.
USC Pharmacies has temporarily suspended its booster clinic with the previous booster formulations. Pending new clinical guidance, booster vaccination will resume with supplies of the new bivalent formulations.
We are looking forward to a vibrant fall semester, and the arrival of our students for the beginning of the academic year. As we prepare to greet one another in person once again, we want to share important reminders with the community to continue to take precautions regarding COVID-19 in our campus communities. Currently, Los Angeles County is experiencing a slight decline from a high level of community transmission (7,009 new cases reported as of the week ending 7/28) that has trended throughout the summer months, driven by the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron. Some of the cases include reinfection in individuals who previously had COVID-19. We strongly recommend wearing medical-grade masks or respirator masks (including surgical, N95, KN95, KF94) when indoors around others to reduce transmission and risk of infection. Masking is most effective when there is both a good fit (no gaps, covering the nose, mouth, chin) and good filtration. Testing before arrival (1-2 days) to campus and testing upon arrival (3-5 days after) will help keep our campuses safer from transmission.
We strongly recommend wearing medical-grade masks or respirator masks (including surgical, N95, KN95, KF94) when indoors around others to reduce transmission and risk of infection. Masking is most effective when there is both a good fit (no gaps, covering the nose, mouth, chin) and good filtration. If and when the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issues changes to the Public Health Officer order regarding indoor masking protocols, the university will align with required measures.