Covid-19

Daily Magazine: Dr. Erin Maughan comments on school nurses who are on the front lines battling COVID and playing a critical role in keeping schools open and students safe.

Emma Therese Anderson — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:14:13 +0000

Daily Magazine: Dr. Erin Maughan comments on school nurses who are on the front lines battling COVID and playing a critical role in keeping schools open and students safe. Emma Therese A… Mon, 11/15/2021 - 13:14

In This Story

Erin D. Maughan, PhD

'They See Us as the Enemy': School Nurses Battle COVID-19 and Angry Parents.

Topics

Covid-19

coronavirus; covid-19

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services School of Nursing

Yahoo News: Dr. Erin Maughan comments on school nurses who are on the front lines battling COVID and playing a critical role in keeping schools open and students safe.

Emma Therese Anderson — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:10:14 +0000

Yahoo News: Dr. Erin Maughan comments on school nurses who are on the front lines battling COVID and playing a critical role in keeping schools open and students safe. Emma Therese A… Mon, 11/15/2021 - 13:10

In This Story

Erin D. Maughan, PhD

'They See Us as the Enemy': School Nurses Battle COVID-19 and Angry Parents.

Topics

Covid-19

coronavirus; covid-19

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services School of Nursing

New York Times: Dr. Erin Maughan comments on school nurses who are on the front lines battling COVID and playing a critical role in keeping schools open and students safe.

Emma Therese Anderson — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 18:06:26 +0000

New York Times: Dr. Erin Maughan comments on school nurses who are on the front lines battling COVID and playing a critical role in keeping schools open and students safe. Emma Therese A… Mon, 11/15/2021 - 13:06

In This Story

Erin D. Maughan, PhD

'They See Us as the Enemy': School Nurses Battle COVID-19 and Angry Parents.

Topics

Covid-19

coronavirus; covid-19

College of Health and Human Services

College of Health and Human Services School of Nursing

Tip Sheet: COVID-19 and the Seasonal Flu

mthomp7 — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 22:46:08 +0000

Tip Sheet: COVID-19 and the Seasonal Flu mthomp7 Mon, 11/16/2020 - 17:46

Dr. Roess is a professor in the College of Health and Human Services, Department of Global and Community Health.

Tip Sheet: COVID-19 and the Seasonal Flu

Dr. Roess is a professor at George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services, Department of Global and Community Health. She is an epidemiologist with expertise in infectious diseases epidemiology, multi-disciplinary and multi-species field research and evaluating interventions to reduce the transmission and impact of infectious diseases. Dr. Roess served as the Science Director for the Pew Commission on Industrial Food Animal Production at Johns Hopkins, and was an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) officer at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

When disease outbreaks or other public health threats emerge, CDC EIS officers investigate, identify the cause, rapidly implement control measures, and collect evidence to recommend preventive actions.

Do you recommend getting the flu shot this year?

Flu season recently started in many parts of the country and it is a good idea to get the flu vaccine soon to protect yourself from the seasonal flu.

Remember that vaccines need a little bit of time to allow your body to produce an immune response. It takes about two weeks from the time you receive your flu vaccine for your body to develop enough antibodies to protect you from the flu. It's important that you get the vaccine at the start of the flu season. If you get it too late then your body may not have enough time to develop enough antibodies to protect. In many parts of the country getting the vaccine between the end of September to the end of October is about the right time to maximize the protective effects of the vaccine.

Older individuals and those with underlying conditions are a higher risk of serious flu complications and should prioritize getting the flu vaccine.

Can someone get the flu and COVID-19 at the same time? If so, how do you know if you have both? What symptoms would a person experience that would let them know they have both? What risks are associated with having both illnesses at the same time?

It may be possible to have both the flu and COVID-19 simultaneously. COVID-19 is a new virus and we do not know much about how it interacts with flu. Flu and COVID-19 have a few symptoms in common, including fever, cough and chills among others. It will be important to contact a health care provider to receive tailored guidance for your individual situation. Your health care provider may try to determine if you have COVID-19 by asking you about your exposures to individuals who have recently be diagnosed with COVID-19 or flu and by asking you to list symptoms. Some symptoms like loss of taste and loss of smell are very specific to COVID-19 and may help your health care provider differentiate between the two. Rapid tests are available for the flu and for COVID-19 viruses and some health care providers may offer testing to determine what their patients have.

Can a person have flu symptoms and also be asymptomatic for COVID-19? Can a person have COVID symptoms but also be as asymptomatic for the flu?

We know that transmission of both of these viruses can occur from a person who does not have symptoms (asymptomatic or presymptomatic). This makes outbreak response difficult because individuals often don’t know that they have been exposed and asymptomatic individuals don’t know that they are exposing others. It is very important that if you are diagnosed with either virus that you alert people you have been in contact with, this includes friends, family, coworkers and others and schools if your child is diagnosed.

Should a person get tested for both the flu and COVID-19 if they are experiencing symptoms? What are the tests like for each or is there one test?

COVID-19 testing is widely available and in most areas you can get one at a testing facility if you are symptomatic or have an exposure. Flu tests are generally limited to health care providers and you will have to make an appointment to get one. It is possible that some jurisdictions may offer broader flu testing. Your health care provider may collect throat or nasal swabs for COVID-19 and flu testing. Many health care provides have access to rapid flu tests and increasingly to rapid COVID-19 tests. There is a COVID-19 and flu test that some government laboratories have access to.

If a person can have both the flu and COVID-19 at the same time, what should they do? Should they take any medications? How long can they expect to feel sick, and how long are they contagious?

It is important that you notify a health care provider if you think you have COVID-19 or flu so that they can make the final determination and ensure that you receive adequate care. Older individuals and those with underlying conditions must take this very seriously. The sooner they get care the better. If your health care provider determines that you have flu then they may place you on an antiviral, like Tamiflu, to shorten the duration of the flu. Our treatment protocols for COVID-19 have improved since March and your health care provider will determine what the best course of treatment is based on your unique situation.

We are starting to see reports of co-infection but there is a lot that we don’t know about the long-term impacts of these. Older individuals and those with underlying conditions are at risk for severe complications from either flu or COVID-19. If individuals from these vulnerable groups are infected by both of these at same time complications may be more severe. For example, both viruses attack the lungs in different ways--if an individual’s lungs are attacked at once in multiple ways the outcome may be grave. Again, there is still a lot we don’t know about co-infections may play out but we do know that early diagnosis leads to early treatment and better outcomes.

Although meant to reduce the spread of COVID-19, can wearing masks and following hand washing and social distancing guidelines also help lower the spread of the flu and colds?

There are a number of things that you can do to keep your risk of COVID-19, flu, and colds low, including adhering to social distancing guidelines, wearing face masks, and washing your hands often and well, especially after getting home and before eating or handling food. We recommend washing hands with soap and water for twenty seconds. If you are in a situation where you cannot wash your hands, then use hand sanitizer. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer (some say with 60% alcohol content) is recommended to kill most germs.

Coronaviruses, influenza viruses and other respiratory pathogens are generally spread through air-borne droplets so wearing a face mask will lower your exposure to all of these. Remember it is important that everyone wear a face mask to protect us all.

Face masks make it easy to follow other recommendations including avoiding touching your eyes, mouth and nose. We often introduce viruses and bacteria that can make us sick into our bodies through those.

George Mason University Receives $100,000 GO Virginia Economic Resilience and Recovery Grant to Pilot Return to Work Program that includes COVID-19 Antibody and Diagnostic Testing to Help the Region Safely Resume Operations

mthomp7 — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 16:26:08 +0000

George Mason University Receives $100,000 GO Virginia Economic Resilience and Recovery Grant to Pilot Return to Work Program that includes COVID-19 Antibody and Diagnostic Testing to Help the Region Safely Resume Operations mthomp7 Thu, 09/24/2020 - 12:26

This is an important effort to understand more about COVID-19 and its effects on the population, and I am delighted to see it moving forward. This effort also is the latest example of innovators in the Northern Virginia technology community collaborating to improve people’s lives.

Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority

I'm so proud to call Mason one of Prince William County's own and I'm excited to see this study move forward. It's such an important step in building confidence in our community and preparing our region for safely getting back to work.

Christina M. Winn, executive director of the Prince William County Department of Economic Development

Pilot initiative builds ability to deliver testing, contact tracing, and stress management protocols among health care providers, with goal of rapidly scaling to other sectors.

The George Mason College of Health and Human Services and College of Science have been awarded a $100,000 GO Virginia Economic Resilience and Recovery Grant to establish critical infrastructure to improve COVID-19 symptom monitoring and tracking, and diagnostics and facilitate a safe return to work. The initiative will simplify workplace monitoring for symptoms and testing for the COVID-19 virus and antibodies and will improve how contacts are traced when the virus is detected. Capabilities such as effective and easy-to-scale methods for diagnostic and antibody testing and contact tracing are key to a safe return.

The interdisciplinary project brings together epidemiologists, nurse researchers, health informatics specialists, and laboratory scientists to create a holistic return to work program that can be scaled up. Dr. Amira Roess, an epidemiologist and professor in the Department of Global and Community Health, is leading the project, which includes integration of symptom, exposure, and behavioral data with regular testing following exposures. A former Epidemic Intelligence (EIS) Officer for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Roess brings extensive experience in outbreak and emergency preparedness and response. She advises public and private organizations, including K-12 schools, judicial systems, universities, and businesses on how to safely resume operations. Roess also currently oversees several longitudinal studies to understand the emergence and transmission of MERS-CoV (with support from the National Science Foundation), COVID-19 antibody dynamics, and other emerging disease transmission studies.

Dr. Lance Liotta, professor in the School of Systems Biology and co-director and co-founder of Mason’s Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine (CAPMM) is leading a team that developed a novel saliva-based antibody test, which is easier to use than other tests and has the potential for higher sensitivity and specificity than previous formats.

The team of co-investigators includes Drs. Kathi Huddleston, Cheryl Oetjen, and Grace Lawrence from the School of Nursing, Dr. Janusz Wojtusiak from the Department of Health Administration and Policy, and Dr. Virginia Espina from CAPMM.

“With breakthroughs in screening, surveillance, and testing, Mason faculty are leading efforts to fight COVID-19 in the region and around the country. The research happening here helps lay the groundwork for the economic recovery of Northern Virginia and the potential for developing commercially-available tests right here in the region,” said Dr. Aurali Dade, Mason’s interim vice president for research, innovation and economic impact.

The pilot will focus on understanding the physical and mental health impact of COVID-19 on the workforce, especially among essential, front-line workers such as those in health care, first responder roles, education, and retail. The team plans to use the results to develop tailored stress management interventions and programs to enhance safe return to work for these populations.

The initial study population will include health care workers because they are active in COVID-19 response and thus face higher exposures than the general population. In addition, they can reliably collect their own samples, which is pivotal at this stage of research development. Each participant will be asked to complete a daily two-minute COVID-19 symptom and exposure screening form and will receive a kit consisting of nasal swabs COVID-19 diagnostic tests, bi-weekly antibody tests, and a mobile phone app for contact tracing. The methods can be rapidly scaled and integrated into other workforce sectors.

The pilot will begin with forty graduates from Mason’s College of Health and Human Services’ School of Nursing located in Fairfax, Prince William, and surrounding counties and will increase to 80 School of Nursing graduates. Monitoring this initial group will allow researchers to refine the testing kits and how the results are interpreted. At the completion of the pilot, researchers seek to extend the testing and tracking protocol to additional sectors of the economy to further support a safe return for the region.

Leaders at the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority and Prince William Department of Economic Development voiced their support for the pilot initiative and the impact a widely available, non-invasive antibody test coupled with enhanced diagnostic testing can have on the region’s ability to resume key operations. Bringing a COVID-19 testing protocol to market in Northern Virginia could also have longer-term benefits to the region and its growing life sciences and information technology sectors.

“This is an important effort to understand more about COVID-19 and its effects on the population, and I am delighted to see it moving forward,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority. “This effort also is the latest example of innovators in the Northern Virginia technology community collaborating to improve people’s lives, and we should be proud that this kind of discovery happens here.”

"I'm so proud to call Mason one of Prince William County's own and I'm excited to see this study move forward," said Christina M. Winn, executive director of the Prince William County Department of Economic Development. "It's such an important step in building confidence in our community and preparing our region for safely getting back to work."

The GO VA Economic Resilience and Recovery Grant Program was created by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Growth and Opportunity for Virginia Board. George Mason University matched the grant with $50,000 in funding. "In creating the Economic Resilience and Recovery program, the GO Virginia State Board pivoted resources to focus on near term strategies to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic and this project is a perfect example of an innovative regional solution. This collaborative project leverages unique assets in Northern Virginia and we look forward to seeing the results of this pilot and its potential to inform reopening strategies," said Sara Dunnigan, deputy director, GO Virginia and Economic Development at DHCD.

About the College of Health and Human Services
George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services prepares students to become leaders and shape the public's health through academic excellence, research of consequence, community outreach, and interprofessional clinical practice. George Mason is the fastest-growing Research I institution in the country. The College enrolls 2,260 undergraduate and 1,645 graduate students in its nationally-recognized offerings, including: 5 undergraduate degrees, 13 graduate degrees, and 7 certificate programs. The College is transitioning to a college public health in the near future. For more information, visit https://chhs.gmu.edu/.

About the College of Science
The College of Science at George Mason University is a leader in scientific discovery creating innovative solutions for the rapidly-changing needs of today's world. Mason's College of Science blends traditional science education for more than 4,000 students with sought-after programs in disciplines as diverse as personalized medicine, infectious diseases, geoinformatics, climate dynamics, materials science, astronomy, forensic science, and applied mathematics. The College encourages meaningful education and research at all levels offering 95 innovative undergraduate programs, minors, certificates, and graduate degree opportunities, as well as global, transfer-focused, and online, or hybrid, programs that allow professionals the opportunity to reskill or change careers. Learn more at science.gmu.edu

For more information contact:

Michelle Thompson
Director of Marketing and Communications
George Mason College of Health and Human Services
Mthomp7@gmu.edu
703-993-3485

Nursing Students in Action as Face-to-Face Instruction Resumes

mthomp7 — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 10:55:04 +0000

Nursing Students in Action as Face-to-Face Instruction Resumes mthomp7 Wed, 08/26/2020 - 06:55

In-person lab courses help students gain hands-on experience amidst new health protocols.

Mason School of Nursing students Allen King and Carla Abril were among the students back on campus on Monday, August 24 participating in a face-to-face nursing lab for NURS 455. Abril, King, and all their classmates suited up in full personal protective equipment (PPE) including a face-shield so they could acclimate to wearing PPE and safely perform simulated physical exams on one another.

Kathy Chang, instructor for the class, told her students that the additional safety procedures mirrored how a nurse in a professional setting would approach a patient encounter. Chang offered helpful tips for working with the PPE, telling students that spreading toothpaste on the face-shield might stop it from fogging up. “You are here to learn. You are not here to be perfect.” she reminded her students. The NURS 455 students, all seniors, were enthusiastic to be back on campus and to do the lab in person. “The setting is so familiar, but all the precautions – the blue tape on the floor, staying 6 feet apart –make it different,” says King. Abril agrees that the new protocols and precautions “feel like a dream” yet she’s thankful to be back in the lab.

NURS 455 is held in the Virtual Simulation lab located in Peterson Hall. The virtual learning space is built to provide hands-on learning experiences for students enrolled in health fields, such as nursing, social work, and community health. Dr. Helen Stacks will be renovating the Virtual Simulation lab in the coming months to further provide hands-on experience for students. For more information about the Virtual Simulation lab and how simulations are integrated into the curriculum, please read Need to Finish Your Clinical Hours? We’ve Got a Simulation for That.

Student Resources During COVID-19

dhawkin — Tue, 25 Aug 2020 17:46:05 +0000

Student Resources During COVID-19 dhawkin Tue, 08/25/2020 - 13:46

Student Relief: Resources for Students Impacted by COVID-19.

Learn more about resources for food, counseling, emergency funding, and more.

Free Masks for Mason Students

CHHS Guidance on Student Accommodations for Students during COVID-19

Laptop Lending Program

As a chapter of FLIP National we are receiving this sponsored Laptop Lending Library to ensure that all of our students on campus have access to a functional laptop throughout their semesters at George Mason University.
You can apply to receive a laptop here, where you will also find more information about the Laptop Lending Library.

College Guidance for Faculty and Staff and Departmental Safe Return Plans

dhawkin — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 22:07:57 +0000

College Guidance for Faculty and Staff and Departmental Safe Return Plans dhawkin Mon, 08/24/2020 - 18:07

View Guidance for Faculty and Staff in the College of Health and Human Services.

View Guidance by Department:

College of Health and Human Services Faculty Receive Curriculum Impact Grants to Create High-Impact Learning Experiences

mthomp7 — Wed, 19 Aug 2020 20:08:04 +0000

College of Health and Human Services Faculty Receive Curriculum Impact Grants to Create High-Impact Learning Experiences mthomp7 Wed, 08/19/2020 - 16:08

Transdisciplinary grants will support curriculum in areas such as physical activity, social justice, STEM in society, and global health challenges.

Recently, George Mason University’s Faculty and Curricular Activities committee funded eight projects from more than 20 submissions. The committee focused on proposals that would help prepare students to make a substantive impact on the world and deepen their engagement with Mason and their communities.

Themes related to global health, chronic conditions, cultural competencies, critical thinking, and health equity were found in many of the selected proposals. As evidence of the College’s commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration and the integration of health in all aspects of life, three of the eight projects selected include faculty from the College of Health and Human Services (CHHS). The following are brief descriptions of the funded proposals that include faculty from the College.

Physical Activity in Health

CHHS faculty Drs. Ali Weinstein and Laura Poms will collaborate with Dr. Charles Robison (College of Education and Human Development) to develop curriculum that studies the intersection of physical activity and public health, including the theory, discipline and practice of kinesiology at the public health level. The curriculum seeks to equip students with skills to combat the increasing rate of obesity in the United States and associated chronic conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes by increasing physical activity. The cross-disciplinary collaboration will fill a curricular gap that exists at Mason and also provide students with a credential that will enhance their career development. By creating these new academic programs, the intent is to create a capstone course that allows students to integrate content knowledge in physical activity in public health with skills of policy and advocacy.

From Exploring Pathways to Developing Opportunities for Community Engagement and Social Justice in an Interprofessional Micro-Credential Program

CHHS faculty Drs. Caroline Sutter and Molly Davis will collaborate with Drs. Carrie Bonilla, Ellen Serafini, and Esperanza Román-Mendoza (College of Humanities and Social Sciences) to develop an interprofessional micro-credential program that addresses health disparities and social inequities experienced by ethnic and linguistic minority communities in the United States. The curriculum will prepare Mason students to serve the health care and social service needs of Spanish-speaking immigrant communities and provide students with opportunities to engage and interact with multiple community stakeholders. The program will be designed and delivered in a hybrid (online/face-to-face) format with affordability and flexibility for students as core considerations and integrate principles of interprofessional education and practice.

STEM in Society Minor

Dr. Laura Poms will collaborate with Drs. Vita Chalk, Larrie Ferreiro, Brian Platt, Cortney Hughes Rinker (CHSS); Padmanabhan Seshaiyer (College of Science); and Kamaljeet Sanghera (Volgenau School of Engineering), to develop a STEM in Society minor, which will help students in diverse majors across Mason, both technical and non-technical, develop strategic and critical thinking capabilities to better understand how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as medicine, impact the human experience. Completing the minor will give students a broad perspective of how STEM fields fit into the wider context of society and culture. The curriculum will develop skills employers are looking for, including strategic and critical thinking about STEM (and medicine) and its role in societies and cultures.

Enhancing Cross-Cultural Engagement and Collaboration at Mason through Explorations of Global Health Challenges

Drs. Megumi Inoue and Laura Poms will collaborate with Drs. Andrew Lee (Mason Libraries), Cortney Hughes Rinker, Michael Smith, Steven Anthony Scott (CHSS) to develop curriculum that fosters cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary dialogues about global health challenges such as vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, increasing rates of obesity and drug addiction, the impacts of environmental pollution and climate change on health, and aging populations. Public health, anthropology, and history—in addition to other fields in the social sciences and humanities—examine health challenges and help to bring the different types of suffering that people experience to light. The main objective is to engage students in cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary dialogues about global health problems at Mason by designing a course module that integrates students from INTO Mason, CHSS, and CHHS. Courses developed as part of this curriculum will equip students with the skills and cultural competencies needed to research and work on national and global health issues and will focus on non-medical solutions to address these global health challenges.

University Safe Return to Campus FAQ

mthomp7 — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 13:08:14 +0000

University Safe Return to Campus FAQ mthomp7 Thu, 08/06/2020 - 09:08

Mason is working to make the return to campus for fall semester as smooth and seamless as possible.

We're asking everyone to wear a face covering if and when they might be in proximity to other people. Mason will provide all members of our community with two face coverings.

We've tried to address the issues that you want to know about and need to know about with our Safe Return to Campus Plan. (PDF)

We also welcome your questions, so we've set up some FAQ pages to provide you with the answers you seek.

Topics include:

We look forward to seeing you on campus.