Orman, who have let me introduce herself good morning my name is Doctor Sarah Van Norman. I'm the Chief Health officer for USC student Health. very much appreciate the opportunity to spend time with you this morning and to share communication and hopefully answer as many questions as we can about how this novel Corona virus the university's policies and procedures how we are going about the process of trying to both ensure as well as we can. The safety of our students, but at the same time provide all the information that we can so that we can also hopefully keep anxiety fear and things like that down to a minimum because as we all know those things are detrimental to our students as well. we do know how important information is for those of you who are around, you know, we know just the other night when we had an unfortunate false alarm, it created tremendous amount. Of anxiety and things like that, so we want to make sure that we're giving all the information that we possibly can so that all of the prevention that we need to do takes place. But then we also have a healthy campus that we can keep going forward with that is our intent and I'm glad you have chosen to join us today. with that, I think we will jump right in. I understand that we will be getting questions, but in the meantime, I'll turn to Doctor Van Orman to begin great. Thank you Winston. so the first question we had sort of prepared to talk about was what what should a student do or someone do when they're sick and this seems like a simple question to start with. but I think it's really important because most importantly is to recognize that if somebody is sick in our community, if a student is sick, that we wanna make sure people recognize well. What are the things that are commonly circulating right now that are causing people to become. We know that this is influenza season. we have lots of people on our campus with the flu. We have lots of people within Los Angeles County and we also know throughout the United States. We're having a really significant flu season. flu and colds are really common this time of year and we encourage anyone who becomes ill to evaluate their symptoms and if they have fever or other symptoms we. Students at USC Student Health students can call us at 21374 Zero 9355 well six or go online to schedule an appointment at Student Health dot Edu dot at USC dot Edu. It's really important that we recognize that if someone becomes sick the likelihood that the risk of novel Corona virus in the United States based on the best evidence from the US Centers for. Control and prevention and local public health is extremely extremely low. that means that if someone becomes ill whether they're a USC student, whether they're an individual returning from an affected area, the likelihood that this is the virus is very low. One of the things that people ask me about sometimes is well what happens, how do we know if someone's coming back and they become coming back from an affected area? are there special precautions? Taken and so I'll walk through that so people have a good sense of this so here at USC Student Health as well as the rest of medicine, we follow the guidelines that have been provided to us from the Los Angeles Department of Public Health and those are guidelines that have also been developed based on recommendations from the CDC. so we right now ask any patient that's coming in or calling us about whether they have certain things that might suggest they could be at risk for the chronic virus that includes their travel history. As well as the symptoms that they have that's something we do for everybody that comes in no matter who they are and then there are very careful guidelines that we follow in the very unlikely event that someone were to follow into the risk pattern that we might want to start the evaluation so this is happening across the US across every health care facility, including those that you might go into and I think it's one of the things that we is really we should be reassured about as a community. As a country is that there's a very good guidelines going on to try to identify early anyone who might be at risk of this and make sure they receive appropriate evaluation. The good news is that with all those efforts there's only been five confirmed cases within the United States. we also know that in the United States, there has not been any spread from any case to anybody else any of that person to. Transmission so I stayed the students if they're sick come in get good medical care but also recognize that what's likely to be causing it is the whole range of flu and cold viruses that unfortunately are all around us every day. So we have a question that is asking should and I assume that means should I but should students or faculty or staff where face masks so face masks are that's a great question. Winston Thank you a lot of people ask about the question of face masks. We also know that I think right now. I've heard that if you go on Amazon, you can't actually order a face mask because so many people have been buying them. So I'll talk a little bit about face mask and face masks are are a really important tool that we have to prevent the spread of infection but we also know. There's also that they're used widespread is probably not indicated so we use face masks in certain settings, primarily health care settings or also felt first responders to prevent the spread of infection. We ask patients and I know many of you who may gone into your own doctor's office. They would ask you the same if you're ill and you're coughing and sneezing to wear a face mask. mini respiratory viruses actually including the 2019 novel Corona virus are spread through what we call respiratory droplets. What that means is that when we cough or sneeze small little particles are kind of expelled. those primarily are spread be because they land on surfaces and then somebody else walks by we picked them up and then we we touch our our nose in our mouth and again that's how most of these get. when we get our our winter viral infections the flu that's how it happens so that face mask really helps prevent someone who's sick when they're in a clinical setting from spreading it to other people including health care providers. We also know that health care providers and other first responders are advised to wear face mask in certain settings because when we're working with patients were in really close contact many times. We're you know swabbing their nose in their mouth and so we might be at risk so using face mask is definitely indicated for certain occupational settings where we know someone is up close the use of face mask, though for healthy people who are just moving a Brown walking around to prevent illness, There's actually no evidence to support that it that it is something that people need to do or worry about what to do the way in which it. Is effective actually interestingly is because that when somebody's wearing a face mask, it prevents them from touching their own nose and mouth with their hands. Remember, we talked about how this is spread from that touching something touching our nose and mouth. so the benefit that somebody gets from wearing a face mask when they're out in the public can be achieved through very careful hand washing using hand sanitizer covering their cough and cold when. Sneeze or cough and avoid touching their mouth and nose with their hands. So I think that's one of the important things about face mask is that information that we have the the advice we give people about what we call respiratory hygiene actually does what a face Mass would do. Thank you for that Sarah and I would also say there are also depending on where people are from there are different cultural habits around face. But given that we don't believe at the moment that there is a need for face mask and the the indication that we get from the public health officials is the same. we are not requiring that and don't think that that is necessary. I think that's a good point. Winston we know people may choose to wear face mask and I think that's absolutely I think it's important that if someone would want to do that sometimes people sometimes there's other. Health conditions that somebody might have that where they might choose to wear a face mask lots of reasons and so it's important that somebody you know we would never wanna ask someone to take it off or to not use it as well and and let me ask you this because this tales into the next question. in the next question is that I've heard that the flu is actually worse than this novel Corona virus and I'd like you to address that. But as a part of that I mean the notion is that we're already engaged in. Measures because of the flu and other viruses and just wanted to make that point excess cleaning schedules like that all of the preventive measures that are recommended by CDC by the local health boards, we are undertaking but that is a good Segway to how does this stack up right now against the regular or the not regular, but the flu that we otherwise have yeah. So I flew is it's so important to talk about influenza because and part of it, you know, worse is always a complicated word right. What does it mean for some? Worse so we it's very important so the not the 2019 novel Corona virus is very important from a global public health standpoint right so the level of worry and concern and attention that's being paid to this within China by our international global public health people, I I don't think we could all say that that's we that's not important. We're very fortunate to have you know robots. Health structures throughout our nation so that when something new happens, we can kinda sweep in get information quickly, understand it and get ready to respond, especially when we have a something new where we don't have all the information I think sometimes though that response makes us think that this is a more immediate and serious risk than than maybe it is because we're in this information gathering period and sometimes we. it's easier, it's it's more as people we often wanna focus on new risks versus the old risks so flu is an old risk and it's something though that is really important for everybody to think about in the United States depending on the season somewhere between 20 and 40000 people actually die each year of the flu and those numbers if we think about that are. Are really staggering so flu is a significant public health issue and I think if and we know that millions of people get the flu millions of people misclassified miss work have incur health care costs have disruption because of the flu. So when I think about worse or the relative risk and and again I was in clinic yesterday seeing many USC students with with influenza who are missing. Who are being impacted so it's really important to sort of recognize that and then also think about what we know we can do about the flu. so flu has a a great vaccine. so I encourage everybody. It's still not too late to get your flu vaccine this year and every single year unfortunately, sometimes people are asking me does the flu of vaccine Prevent Corona virus the 2019 novel Corona virus it doesn't but some of the things we recommend for the flu are actually very similar to the things that would prevent the spread of other viruses, including the 2019 novel Corona virus, and that includes the things we've talked about which is frequent hand washing using hand sanitizer not touching your mouth or nose with your hands when you're out and about throughout the day and practicing that good respiratory hygiene not covering your your your. Mouth other things we know about the risks of the novel Corona virus is that you know we have some emerging of information that the people that have the we certainly know that it is causing various serious disease but the percentage of people who are developing those serious conditions is actually as more evidence comes available is relatively small. We also know that the people that where they've had serious disease primarily tends to. In older individuals, individuals with underlying heart conditions or lung conditions and individuals who have weakened immune systems so I think it's important as we learn more about this to start to understand what this new virus is doing and what it's not and the fact that it just isn't present in the US population at this point now that we also have questions about people asking about well with with flu going around and with this, maybe I should stay home and avoid going to gatherings to events. The public places student events, or any of the things like that that happen on the College game. Yeah, and I would say absolutely not you know again just kinda stepping back and looking at the perspective that there is no 2019 novel Corona virus at USC within USC students, faculty or staff and that we do know there are other respiratory viruses that can circulate in public places but we know. The strategies we've talked about before when we're out in public are actually really good prevention control measures and making sure that we're practicing that good respiratory hydrate. so absolutely not. I think people should go out, do the things that they're doing with one exception and that is if you are sick. If you have a fever you should stay home until that fever is gone to prevent spreading what is likely flu or other viruses to other people. I would also want to add in and suggest as a question talk a little bit. If you would about the way that we educate students in general about flu prevention and other virus prevention and one of the things I want parents to understand the things that we tell them so that they can also help reinforce those behaviors. Yeah. So and we really ask for parents to be partners on this with us so at USC Student Health we have a lot of activities and we partner with our campus partners to get information out if you there's. Communications that have gone out from myself from other people about respiratory hygiene about the arrival of the flu. If you move across campus, you'll see across campus. posters hand washing signs and this year we've had a very forward a very aggressive campaign about encouraging people to get their flu shots and we're really excited. I don't have the latest numbers but we have about 4000 more students this year. We've gotten their flu shots compared to last year and that's something I. We're gonna continue at USC Student health and we really need parents to help us with. We know that the recommendation from a parent or family member to get a flu shot is probably the most important person to tell them so I I asked all parents to set a reminder in your calendar for now but also for September of 2020 to start bugging your student to go get their flu shots. so put that in your your to-do list tell them you can say I told them to do it. We want every student here to to get their flu shot and to make sure that they're protected when we go into respiratory virus season, I'm gonna change the subject slightly. we can always come back but I want to make sure that in the time that we have, we both cover what actually would happen. if someone actually does get a confirmed case. But even before that, there was a question that raises a number of things that I think should be talked about and that is I heard that someone was. On Monday for the virus that is incorrect and I'm gonna tell you we'll talk. we'll talk about this and I'll let Sarah talk about the protocols and things that happen because this notion of the speed of social media and rumors and the the the things that happen when something happens and it gets out on social media and all of a sudden people start talking about it without giving time for understanding. Is not helpful to our students because if you know what happened to the other night, our students go into a panic and they're waking you up and they're waking us up and they're all in a panic and I'm hearing things like conspiracy theories and all kinds of everything else about what we are are not doing with information that isn't helping things. so we're we're gonna do the best that we can to provide accurate information as well as we can now students get. Ported for a lot of reasons if you are feeling sick or a students also if you are a student and you think you might be sick, you call it in. If you call it in the responders are going to respond and sometimes they respond with masks and gloves and those kind of things for the reasons that Sarah just said that is does not mean a student has Corona virus probably it means one of the other things. If a student is suspected, there are protocols that that folks go through and I'll let Sarah talk about that because I I honestly don't wanna get anything wrong. Went with talking with you, Yeah, and so I just wanna acknowledge that we there was a communication that went out from someone off campus that indicated that someone had been transported with Corona virus and we know that that created a lot of concern among our students and our families and staff and faculty at the University so, as Winston said at clearly, the answer is no there was no Corona virus. but I think I'll spend a little bit of time walking through what we do what would happen because I think it's important and I want everybody to understand that so when I started talking, I talked a little bit about the fact that everybody right now in the health care and the first responder community is screening people for the potential of Corona virus and and this is not unusual. we do have. This with where there's other new emerging infections globally that as health care providers were asked by public health officials to put enhanced screening in so that we can have an early detection of something and so this has been in place now including with our first responders within throughout the country really. But in Los Angeles about we ask everybody about this right we we're we're trying to assess us with every single person were. In contact with so we believe that what may have happened was that that screening process somehow was communicated or triggered the notion that this was somebody with Corona virus. the other thing that may have happened is that first responders and health care providers might wear a variety of personal protective equipment. Whether that be a kind of what we think of the bunny suit or gloves or masks. Gowns when we're responding or responding to individual our understanding was there was kind of a personal protective equipment in use that evening, and that sort of added to this sense that somehow this person was was very ill or there was a Corona virus situation and even beyond that. you know you have situations sometimes where people who mean well, we'll say what's going on or The first responders, what are you doing and they may say something like screening for Corona virus or things like that, and then that spins into well. There's a confirmed case of Corona virus or something like that. there has not been so we want to be clear. There is no confirmed case. We don't have anyone currently being evaluated correct for suspicion of Cora Corona virus and we haven't. Right now, there's a question that says how can doctors tell the difference between flu and Corona virus? So maybe I think that's a good Segway to walking through. you know what what is it that we would do so we talked about the fact that we would screen people but then but then what and I walk through this again in some detail because I think it helps understand how communication would happen. so if I in my or any other provider, if we screen someone and they're you know we we think. This is someone who may be traveled to the area. they have symptoms we would immediately make contact in our case with our local hospital epidemic Allergist and our public health Department, and that all happens in the matter of minutes to hours before that patient ever leaves our care that there's a very careful and rapid evaluation again done by experts public health experts to say does. Person again is this someone that we might is under investigation What we call a person under investigation. Do they need criteria That is it possible that they could have that. if that's the case then that individual is isolated and then testing is done. there is and we do testing actually we would do swabs of the nose and the mouth and blood tests, and we actually would test for other viruses that we know about because and flu. We would and there's actually very good testing available for the flu. that helps us to know is this the flu and then we're fortunate with this virus that very early on there was a test. There is a test available. that's currently only performed that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. that test would be sent there and they would be the ones to determine whether that was actually a case of Corona. So the good news is there's actually a very very accurate way to know right now. I think in the United States, there's been around 200 people under investigation for Corona virus and I think as of last night 60 - eight of those people that even got through all this careful screening 60 -. Eight of those people are negative on only five have have test positive. so I say that so even if someone were under investigation, the likelihood is right now that it's not Corona virus, but in here is it if That information would be transmitted to the local public health authorities and the health care providers providing for that individual. We have been in very close contact with Los Angeles Public Health. so if there were ever to be a case within a USC student we would also receive that immediate notification and work closely with them. so just to be really clear local public health authorities would be the only individuals. Would actually have the right information to release the information and then we would actually send out official communication immediately as well so the notion that other channels so and it's really important that we engage parents on this so other sources of information that students might be getting rumors posts other communications. We feel really confident in saying those are not where the information would come from. Okay. Next question. I think we'll do with the two fold, which is does the number of Chinese students at USC pose a risk and I'm I'm actually very grateful for that question. because I think it's critically important and I want people to understand this into into measures. excuse me what is happening in China and what is happening here are different in Sarah started to talk about what they are doing and trying to do based on what they've gotten what we are doing and then I'd like you to talk. Little bit about why the answer to your question is no. Yeah. Yeah. So so certainly we know that USC has a large number of Chinese international students. we also know that there are a lot of individuals who travel to many places internationally and return to the United States and Los Angeles is actually a global city. we know that we're. Our located on the Pacific Rim and so the idea that the population of Chinese students at USC are separate from just the the whole Mass of individuals who are travelling whether that be US citizens citizens variety of countries that are traveling back and forth between parts of Asia is is is separate from that. I think is one part of that. so we know that that. Of the things that I've seen during this is that we have had a very our our. our students from China have been very vigilant about following the recommendations and letting us know if they become ill and we also know that right now because of some of the things that are that have been happening that travel is actually dropping. we there is right now a level three travel alert from the CDC so. To China is actually not recommended non essential travel, and we also know that China has implemented many things to kinda reduce the number of people leaving the affected areas. so I think it's we can be really comfortable about that our risk here is similar to other global cities and in fact, if you look at the risk of what we're seeing right now with this is that the number of the list of countries where. and areas where this has been a few numbers of cases is growing and I think it's important at this point that we don't wanna focus on you know right now a small population of individuals. I'd also like to be clear. I do think it's a fair and important question. I'd like to be clear. you know where people have been travelling where people are traveling from these are things that we have always tracked as as an institution and the public health authority. Are looking at all the entries and where people are coming from and if people need to be looked at and evaluated as they're coming back that is happening as you can see there's a story that's out there now about the plane of people that are coming from actually the the most affected area and how the government in the State Department is taking multiple steps to make sure that that they are healthy and not gonna be a threat to the population and so I I cannot say anymore definitively then then I. That know the the population of Chinese students does not present anymore threat than any other population does and this is really important because we have the potential for a number of our students just based on the category of who they are to begin to be mistreated on this campus, which is not what we want and so we would hope that everyone would help in this process and I think our our County health Department when the first case was identified in Los Angeles County put out a really clear statement, they said. That said that you know that no one should. Excluded from any activities on the basis of race, National origin or travel history, you know, I think it's an interesting question to talk a little bit about what's happening and I think that the global travel advisories the evacuations. these things are actually really raising a lot of questions and so one of the things I I sometimes talk about is you know why are those things happening and why do we become concerned about people traveling to areas and the first thing you might think is that what we don't want people going to these areas. Have a travel advisory because there's a high high risk of getting the disease there and some cases that's partially true, but the other thing that's important to recognize when we have these travel advisories and the evacuations is a lot of times. These are being driven by the fact that when you have a region or an area with a significant communicable disease issue that we find that it's it it affects life there. So I always say to people well, you probably not gonna get. The virus, but if you get in a car accident or break your leg, it's gonna you know the medical facilities might be overwhelmed and so just understanding that what is driving. This is often just that this is an area under under stress. There's impact on on services and so for travelers, this isn't a good time to go there. so thank you for that we I'm getting a two -minute warning. this is this is always the case with these things that there's never enough time so one of I will say is that I'm strongly encouraging people to continue to follow the homepage The homepage has a banner right on the front of the homepage. It's a yellow bar. that is where you go for all of the information that we will be releasing about the novel, Corona virus efforts that we that are underway updates. As the situation changes, I would encourage you all to talk with your students. your family members about not jumping to. When lots of unofficial or or rumor mill information is out there ask the question when it needs to be asked if people don't feel good if they feel ill, they need to come and seek health help. We do take this very seriously, but we also think it's very important that people understand what we are in are not dealing with and that we can keep panic and anxiety and fear to a level that it doesn't become the detriment it's. So to that end, we've set up places for people to get their questions answered Earlier in this program, I put out the information line for student health that is for students who need medical care. We've also though set up a separate number 21374 zero 6291, I will share that on the screen in addition, we have an Email student health at USC dot Edu. those are we really encourage people if they have general questions about what we're doing if they have more follow-up. To use those two resources so that we can make sure we're able to quickly route questions and concerns to the appropriate people on campus. so I really appreciate everybody's time today. I appreciate your efforts in supporting our students, keeping them safe and well. I hope all of you stay safe and well wash your hands. Get your flu shot and have a good day. Thank you. Sarah and my final thought is simply this I can appreciate that in these days, there is a lot of anxiety. There is a lot of fear. I can also appreciate that with the recent years at this University that there are times when people will doubt what we are doing or how we feel. I'm gonna end the same way. I always end that I have since I got here and I will as long as you keep letting me show up here and that is to say there is absolutely nothing right now more important to us. Than the health of the safety and the well-being of our students, yours and hours right we are in this altogether, we are not going to be more worried about issues other than their health. I promise you that from the bottom of my heart, as I always say, I'll never see your child without seeing mine. so please help us be a part of what we're doing. let's work together to keep them all safe and healthy as we can and fight on.