Covid-19

Amira Roess quoted about bivalent COVID booster

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 14 Oct 2022 13:02:06 +0000

Amira Roess quoted about bivalent COVID booster Mary Cunningham Fri, 10/14/2022 - 09:02

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

5 Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Caught COVID on a Cruise

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Study: Federal Pandemic Aid to Public Schools Was Insufficient; $700B Needed to Offset Effect on Economy

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 14:10:01 +0000

Study: Federal Pandemic Aid to Public Schools Was Insufficient; $700B Needed to Offset Effect on Economy Andrew J Schappert Tue, 10/11/2022 - 10:10

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Matthew Steinberg: ‘School leaders need to take seriously the short- and long-term consequences of learning loss and commit to addressing it with whatever federal resources they have available.’

Although the federal government provided an unprecedented level of emergency funding to U.S. public schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, this support was insufficient and poorly targeted to offset the cost of recovering student learning loss, according to new research.

The study, by Schar School Associate Professor Matthew P. Steinberg and University of Delaware Assistant Professor Kenneth A. Shores, was published this week in Educational Researcher, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Steinberg, director of EdPolicy Forward: The Center for Education Policy, and Shores estimate that $700 billion will be needed to offset COVID-induced learning loss, far more than the $190 billion allocated to public K–12 schools by the federal government through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds. ESSER funding was approved through three bills signed into law in 2020 and 2021.

“Despite an extraordinary level of support by the federal government during the pandemic, U.S. schools are still $500 billion short of what’s needed to address unpreceded levels of learning loss,” said Steinberg. “While the investment in ESSER was incredible in scale, it pales in comparison to the negative impact on the economy if a generation of children does not recover from what this pandemic has done to them academically.”

To estimate the cost of remediating student learning loss, the authors leveraged prior estimates of learning loss, time spent in remote instruction, and the cost of increasing student achievement, gleaned from existing research studies and data from the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, and other sources.

Shores and Steinberg also found that ESSER funds—issued through the Department of Education’s Title I program—were likely not distributed to places with the greatest learning loss.

“COVID-19 hit communities of color very hard, regardless of poverty,” said Shores. “Communities of color that may have faced difficult challenges due to the pandemic would not have received the funds needed to remediate student learning losses.”

The authors note that many school districts do not plan to use the majority of ESSER funds they receive to offset learning loss, and that there is little way for policymakers to know how ESSER support is being used.

“Policymakers should require, or least provide incentives to, school districts to use federal aid for remediating student learning losses,” said Steinberg. “This is much more important than using it, for example, for new facilities construction—such as athletic fields—that have little to do with addressing the academic needs of students.”

“School leaders need to take seriously the short- and long-term consequences of learning loss and commit to addressing it with whatever federal resources they have available,” he added. “At the same time, policymakers should work to establish data monitoring systems to track how districts are spending federal stimulus funds in real time.”

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Schar School News October 2022

Teen Vogue: Dr. Amira Roess is quoted in an article about the status of the COVID pandemic among different racial, economic, and regional groups

eander6 — Thu, 06 Oct 2022 15:57:02 +0000

Teen Vogue: Dr. Amira Roess is quoted in an article about the status of the COVID pandemic among different racial, economic, and regional groups eander6 Thu, 10/06/2022 - 11:57

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Is The Pandemic Over? Experts Say No.

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CHHS in the Media

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College of Health and Human Services Department of Global and Community Health

What to know about the new COVID booster

Mary Cunningham — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 17:08:32 +0000

What to know about the new COVID booster Mary Cunningham Thu, 09/08/2022 - 13:08

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Epidemiologist and Professor Amira Roess answers frequently asked questions about the newest COVID booster shot.

In the United States, a new COVID-19 booster shot has been approved and recommended for people aged 12 and older. This new booster, called a “bivalent” booster, was created to combat the original COVID strain and to protect against the newest omicron variants (BA.4 and BA.5).

Epidemiologist and Professor at ��AV Dr. Amira Roess specializes in infectious diseases and answers frequently asked questions about the new COVID-19 booster shot. She is available for further comment.

Who should get the COVID-19 new booster?

Those aged 12 years and older who are eligible are encouraged to get the new bivalent booster. Eligibility is defined as being at least 2 months out from their last booster dose or from the initial primary series. FDA has authorized two new boosters, one from Moderna and one from Pfizer. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website to find out if you are eligible.

The numbers are down, and less people seem to be getting COVID, so why should I get the new booster vaccine?

Disease modelers have been forecasting a surge in cases this fall and winter, in part due to the fact that we are moving into colder months when we will be indoors more and exposed to more viruses. In addition, many individuals are losing their immunity against the virus. People were vaccinated or boosted many months ago, and many were in the spring or the summer. This means that soon they will be at risk for (re)infection. Getting the new booster can help decrease your chance of getting infected and can dramatically decrease your chance of a severe infection if you are infected.

Another important note here is that we are significantly undercounting cases. Many of us are using home-based kits, and we are not reporting results to public health agencies.

Is now a good time to get boosted?

If you are eligible, yes. Now is a good time, and you should consider getting the new booster. We are hearing reports of children getting infected at school and infecting their household members. We will likely see more cases in the coming weeks. Eligible individuals who get the new booster can expect to have a lower chance of getting COVID-19, and if they do become infected, they will likely have a very mild case and shorter duration of illness. This will cut down the chance of passing on the virus to others.

How soon after infection can I get the new booster?

General CDC guidance suggests you wait at least 3 months from the onset of symptoms or positive test. We can expect the CDC and White House to release guidance on this related to the booster in the coming weeks.

Why don't we know more about the currently circulating COVID-19 variant?

The data, while preliminary, indicate that the currently circulating variant, BA.5, is the most immune evasive one that we have dealt with to date. Individuals are getting reinfected with this variant at a greater rate compared to previously circulating variants. In addition, we are seeing a segment of the population getting reinfected within 2 months of infection. Because BA.5 became dominant over the summer, there is still quite a bit that we don't know.

The data do suggest that overall, among healthy individuals, severe illness, hospitalization, and death continue to be significantly lower following infection with this variant.

How do we deal with this moving forward?

First, if you are eligible for the new booster, consider getting it.

Next, try to stay home if you have symptoms, even if your rapid test is negative. We want to avoid infecting others, particularly those who are immune compromised or elderly.

If you test positive, isolate at home to the best of your ability. The CDC updated its guidelines to shorten the duration of isolation and quarantine. Once you are out of isolation, continue to wear your mask when you are around others to further protect them.

The good news is that most healthy adults are not getting very sick. However, we do want to keep in mind that there are many immune-compromised individuals in our community who are at risk for severe illness should they get infected.

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Study Confirms AI Can Predict Probability of COVID-19 vs. Flu Based on Symptoms

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 16:40:50 +0000

Study Confirms AI Can Predict Probability of COVID-19 vs. Flu Based on Symptoms Mary Cunningham Mon, 07/25/2022 - 12:40

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

A new study from College of Health and Human Services’ researchers validates the use of artificial intelligence and seasonality to screen patients and identify the probability of COVID-19 prior to testing.

New COVID-19 variants continue to spread and doctors and nurses struggle to differentiate between COVID-19, the flu, and other respiratory diseases before a lab can confirm the results. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, “You cannot tell the difference between flu and COVID-19 just by looking at the symptoms alone because they have some of the same symptoms;” however a new study has confirmed computer models can assist with this.

Professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy Farrokh Alemi

In an earlier study, Professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy Farrokh Alemi and his research team found that a computer model can predict the probability of COVID-19 vs. the flu based on a small set of Chinese and American data. In a follow-up study that included more scenarios, more symptoms, and U.S.-only data, the team has validated that the constructed computer model can help doctors, nurses, and community health workers diagnose a respiratory illness before laboratory data is available.

“This new study validates the findings from our previous study—our model has the ability to differentiate diseases and provide accurate predictions for diagnoses using only symptom data,” said Alemi. “If built for clinical use, the computer model can assist health care professionals in recommending the correct treatment to a patient who is awaiting lab results.”

This new study examines differential diagnosis of COVID-19 under 45 different scenarios regarding the spread of COVID-19, influenza, or influenza-like illnesses. Data came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on laboratory confirmed cases, and the control data came from the Influenza Research Database of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The models constructed and validated in this study would not be applicable to asymptomatic individuals or those without respiratory symptoms. Additionally, this study was conducted before the delta or omicron variants of the novel coronavirus emerged, and more data would be needed to establish the accuracy of the model across all variants.

“Differential Diagnosis of COVID-19 and Influenza” was published in PLOS Global Public Health in July 2022. The Mason research team included Associate Professor of Health Informatics Janusz Wojtusiak, Professor of Global Health and Epidemiology Health Amira Roess, Affiliate Faculty Jee Vang, and doctoral student Elina Guralnik, along with Rachele Peterson and Praduman Jain from Vibrent Health. This study was presented at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting in June 2021.

This research was funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to Vibrent Health, Inc. and conducted in collaboration between Mason and Vibrent teams. The study is one of a series of studies that the Mason-Vibrent team conducted to elucidate the utility of symptom-screening algorithms for accurate diagnosis of COVID-19.

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Summer COVID update

Melanie Balog — Tue, 24 May 2022 14:34:38 +0000

Summer COVID update Melanie Balog Tue, 05/24/2022 - 10:34

Dear Patriots,

As we graduate our next class of Patriots into the world, I want to thank the entire Mason community for its contributions to the 2021-2022 academic year. Despite the persistence of COVID-19, we were able to successfully open our campuses and come together — in person — to learn, live, work, and thrive.

Now, the summer season is upon us, and as many of us look forward to time away with friends and family, we must remember that COVID isn’t taking a summer break. COVID case numbers continue to rise, and several local counties (Fairfax, Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William) are in the MEDIUM transmission zone. Health department and other agencies project that despite the warm weather and time of year, our region may reach HIGH transmission levels at some point this summer.

As prevalence and community spread continue to increase, there is an increased risk of becoming infected during your daily activities. And while vaccines are very effective to lessen the severity of illness, you can still have a new COVID infection even if you are vaccinated and boosted. You can also have a new COVID infection if you have had a prior infection as new variants circulate.

The good news is that Mason Patriots know how to fight COVID and lower our risk. You can protect yourself, your family and friends, and vulnerable community members by voluntarily taking these steps:

Get your vaccine series and any eligible boosters to lessen your risk of severe disease. You can schedule an appointment to be vaccinated at Mason: vaccine.gmu.edu

Avoid very crowded places and opt to wear a mask if you must be in a crowded place or indoor area with others.

If you are not having symptoms but wish to test after a possible exposure/event, prior to seeing someone who is especially at risk, for general reassurance, or to help contribute to mitigation of spread on campus, please utilize our surveillance testing program at Fenwick A, Colgan Hall (SciTech), or Van Metre Hall (Mason Square).

If you are having symptoms, seek out a diagnostic PCR test. These are free and available to you on campus for students at SHS, and for employees at SEERM's drive up diagnostic site at the Peterson Clinic. Summer residential students will be required to test three times this summer starting this week. (Detailed information is being sent directly to residential students.) These appointments can be scheduled in your Medicat patient portal.

Consider utilizing an at-home rapid test if you have any questionable symptoms. (Vaccinated, low-risk people often have mild symptoms that can be mistaken for allergies, yet they are actually infectious and at risk of spreading COVID to others).

Continue to report COVID illnesses through the Mason COVID Health Check tool at: healthcheck.gmu.edu. This is a required step when utilizing Mason’s testing facilities.

As always, we will continue to monitor and keep you informed of changes.

Thank you for your commitment and diligence to keeping yourself and our community healthy and safe this summer.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

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Office of the President

Statement: Office of the President

Campus News

Updated mask requirements for Commencement

Melanie Balog — Fri, 13 May 2022 12:41:10 +0000

Updated mask requirements for Commencement Melanie Balog Fri, 05/13/2022 - 08:41

Dear Fellow Patriots:

Recent increases in COVID-19 cases have prompted concerns and questions in the university community that I want to address as we head into Commencement week and the completion of the Spring 2022 semester.

We continue to watch conditions daily. The number of cases at ��AV in recent weeks remains well below the high we experienced this winter. We are following current CDC and local public health guidance on how to respond to COVID conditions. As of this week, Fairfax County community rates are classified as medium, and the county is not calling for a return to mask mandates at this time.

We will continue our current campus policy except for upcoming Commencement and indoor degree ceremonies. We recognize that these events will be attended by many family members who consider this to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness their loved ones complete a major educational milestone. Many attendees may have avoided public events due to COVID risks, so we owe it to our families to take added measures for these events and create as safe an environment as possible. In addition, many are coming from Northern Virginia, where the prevalence rate is classified as medium.

Therefore, for Commencement at EagleBank Arena and all indoor degree celebrations, we will require all students, faculty, staff, and guests in attendance to wear masks. We will have additional supplies on hand for those who arrive without a mask.

Looking ahead to the summer, we will require all summer students living on campus to be regularly tested and we will reevaluate if necessary. We will share more details about our summer plans shortly.

Congratulations on completing another semester in such a safe and responsible manner.

Sincerely,

Gregory Washington

President

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Covid-19

Campus News

Graduation

Statement: Office of the President

Michelle Vassallo Honored as CHHS Alumna of the Year

John Brandon Cantrell — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 20:43:25 +0000

Michelle Vassallo Honored as CHHS Alumna of the Year John Brandon C… Tue, 04/19/2022 - 16:43

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Department of Health Administration and Policy

Alumni Spotlight

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Master of Health Administration alumna led effort to get 100,000 people vaccinated in just 53 days.

When faced with fighting an unfamiliar and contagious virus, Mason alumna Michelle Vassallo rose to the occasion. Vassallo led a team of infectious disease prevention specialists, physicians, pharmacists, and researchers at Inova Health System to develop and execute a plan to distribute 100,000 vaccines in just 53 days. To do this, Vassallo and her team of nearly 30 public health professionals reimagined how their hospital system could fight the pandemic while keeping everyone's safety top of mind. The team reevaluated many components of the hospital system, such as establishing trusted communication channels for patients seeking information on vaccines and redesigning their treatment centers to accommodate a large number of socially-distanced patients. The team also faced ethical considerations when determining which groups would receive the vaccination first based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

In recognition of her achievements and contributions, Vassallo has been named the 2022 College of Health and Human Services Alumna of the Year.

Vassallo began her career as a registered nurse at Inova. Having graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she advanced in her career by accepting nursing leadership positions at Inova. As a graduate of Mason’s Master of Health Administration (MHA) program, Vassallo not only learned about health systems, she also learned about leadership and problem-solving. This knowledge served her well in her current role as vice president, clinical platform service line at Inova.

"It's very humbling," Vassallo said on being named the CHHS Alumna of the Year. "The work I am being acknowledged for is something that has saved my life, my family, and all the people I interact with. I can't imagine there will be something else that impactful to my community and the people I care about as that endeavor was."

The process of reworking how the hospital system would operate in the wake of the pandemic required Vassallo to hone her leadership abilities and work with a group of interdisciplinary professionals on critical projects in just a short amount of time.

"Everybody took on a different role and chipped in,” Vassallo said. “We had to fall back on the fundamentals of what are the right ways to engage, influence, and empower team members to make the decisions that are right in the moment. You, as a leader, had to pivot kind of moment by moment based on what the needs were of the situation."

Despite the challenges faced, Vassallo and her team embraced the adversity through strong leadership, organization, and trust in one another.

"We took the opportunity to function well as a system in a way that we never had before," Vassallo said. "We were able to quickly make decisions that were very important to patient care and for team member safety. It was hard work, long hours, and difficult times, but it was also incredibly inspiring and motivating. It's affected our work in a positive way as we have moved through the pandemic."

Vassallo said that the training she received in the MHA program had particularly helped her lead others through the pandemic. Having a clinical background as a nurse and experience in hospital system operations, she saw an MHA degree as a way to develop further her understanding of business management and leadership. These skills resulted in saving many lives through the successful vaccination outreach.

"Almost every class was applicable to this crisis," Vassallo said. "I really think the best benefit was that [the MHA program] gave a broad foundation of knowledge for theory, for business, for leadership skills themselves. The leadership principles and those foundation elements were important to lean back on. When you have a moment to breathe, you can think about them and do them a little more purposefully, and then in the times of crisis, you're just glad you have that muscle memory."

When asked what advice Vassallo would give to graduating CHHS seniors, she encouraged new graduates to pursue assignments that can advance their exposure in their organization, even if the tasks are not a part of their job description.

"The best advice is if someone asks you to do something, it's because they think you're going to be successful and you can do it," Vassallo said. "So, take that opportunity and have confidence in yourself and take that stretch assignment or project because you never know where it will lead you. I think that has been the number one key to my success."

Vassallo was honored as the CHHS Alumna at the Year in April during the Honoring Mason Nurses event. The School of Nursing invites all faculty, staff, students, and alumni to join the celebration. She will also be given the CHHS Distinguished Alumni Award at Mason's Celebration of Distinction on October 21. Learn more here.

Mason campuses are now mask-optional

Melanie Balog — Tue, 05 Apr 2022 13:12:24 +0000

Mason campuses are now mask-optional Melanie Balog Tue, 04/05/2022 - 09:12

Dear Fellow Patriots:

I have more encouraging news to share about our management of COVID-19. The presence of the virus is now at a low point both on Mason’s campuses and in surrounding communities. Our positivity rates have remained well below 1 percent and community transmission in Fairfax County is now categorized as “low.”

The current low level of COVID-19 means that we can take another step forward. Effective immediately, Mason campuses are mask-optional, except in certain event venues, healthcare settings, on public transit, or childcare settings. We are now also COVID test-optional, with the exception of unvaccinated, high-contact students. Visit the Safe Return to Campus page for when and where masks and tests are still required.

Every Mason Patriot should feel free to practice the masking measures that make you feel safe. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, we support you. If you choose not to wear a mask where they are optional, we support you as well.

There are steps that we will take to keep our community healthy and safe:

We encourage all students, faculty, and staff to continue to complete the Mason COVID Health Check each day prior to coming to a campus, through Spring Commencement on May 20.
We ask that all students, faculty and staff get tested when they feel symptomatic, either at Student Health Services or at the Peterson Hall testing site.

And FREE 2^nd booster shots for anyone over 50, per CDC and VDH guidelines are available at the Fenwick Testing and Vaccination Center.

Your dedication and compassion for your fellow Patriots has contributed to our success. Let’s keep going and finish this spring semester healthy and safe.

Onward,

Gregory Washington

President

Topics

Covid-19

Campus News

Statement: Office of the President

Q&A on updated mask guidance

Lauren Reuscher — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 17:58:23 +0000

Q&A on updated mask guidance Lauren Reuscher Thu, 03/10/2022 - 12:58

Mason is now at Face-Covering Level Yellow, which means masks are optional at Mason, with a few exceptions. Let’s take a look at some of those exceptions, answering any lingering questions you might have about the recent changes.

Q: What does “Face-Covering Level Yellow” mean?

A: Mason uses a tiered, color-coded system to communicate face-covering (mask) requirements. Face-covering levels may change based on public health guidelines. Mason’s current Mask Level Yellow means that face-coverings are optional, with some exceptions.

Masks are still required in the following scenarios: all indoor classrooms, healthcare facilities, indoor environments offering programs for minors ages 2–5, Mason Shuttles/university-owned vehicles with multiple passengers, and students or employees who are instructed to wear a mask for 10 days after testing positive for COVID or being exposed to COVID. The mask requirements do not change based on vaccination status.

Q: Are masks still required in classrooms and labs? Does it depend on class size?

A: Masks are still required in all indoor university classrooms and labs, regardless of class size.

Q: Are masks still required on Mason Shuttles?

A: Yes, masks are still required in university-owned or operated mass or public-transit vehicles when others are present (for example, Mason Shuttles, vanpool vehicles, or university-owned vehicles with multiple passengers).

Q: What is the mask policy for performances at Center for the Arts and the Hylton Performing Arts Center?

A: Current face-covering, vaccination, and testing requirements remain in place at the Center for the Arts and the Hylton Center. The latest guidance is posted on the Center for the Arts and Hylton Center websites.

Q: Are masks required when attending an event at EagleBank Arena?

A: Patrons attending an event at EagleBank Arena are no longer required to wear a face-covering unless required by the artist or event organizer. Read more on the EagleBank Arena website.

Q: Do I need to wear a mask while attending other events at Mason?

A: No, masks are not universally required at Mason events, but event organizers may choose to require masks. All attendees must complete the Mason COVID Health Check and receive a “green light” status on the day of the event. Event organizers must perform a spot check of 20 percent of attendees to verify a green status during check-in. Event guidelines are available on the University Events website.

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Campus News

Covid-19