Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | October 27, 2020
The seven-day average positivity rate for all students is at .88%. On campus, the seven-day average rate is .64% while the off-campus rate is 1.25%. We have expanded our testing efforts to approximately 18,000 each week, and have conducted more than 165,000 tests overall .
Last week, Ohio State’s Comprehensive Monitoring Team issued its initial report on ongoing data analysis designed to stem the spread of infection. The report observed that the reproduction number (Rt) has remained stable, primarily below 1, which is an indicator that the epidemic may be slowing....
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD and Gene Smith | October 23, 2020
Dear Ohio State Community,
Ohio State football is back this weekend and we are looking forward to cheering the Buckeyes on to a win against Nebraska. As you may know, other than player and coach family members, there won’t be fans at The ‘Shoe. While we wish we could all be together in the stands, these efforts are making it possible for us to have a safe season and protect Buckeye Nation.
Game Day might look different than years past or what you expected your first home game to be like, but the spirit of football season and...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | October 19, 2020
Because you are wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart and practicing good hygiene, Ohio State continues to be a leader in fighting COVID-19, and we are able to continue to be on campus together living, working, researching, teaching and learning.
This month, the university expanded testing to include selected asymptomatic faculty and staff whose job responsibilities require them to have consistent or sustained in-person contact with other members of our university community. Employees eligible for this program will receive an email from the university explaining the process.
We continue to build on our existing protocols,...
Melissa S. Shivers, PhD and Morley O. Stone, PhD | October 15, 2020
Dear Student, To most efficiently and effectively serve our campus community and support our COVID- 19 testing needs, the university will transition the student surveillance testing to an oncampus lab and scheduling/results delivery tool. This change will allow the university to test and process results more quickly and affordably, and your on-site experience at the Jesse Owens North testing facility will be more efficient because less saliva will be required. This transition will change how you schedule your testing appointment(s) and where you receive your results. For the testing process, students will begin using the Ohio State MyChart patient portal...
Bruce A. McPheron, PhD, Executive VP and Provost; Harold L. Paz, MD, Executive VP and Chancellor for Health Affairs, CEO, Wexner Medical Center; Susan Basso, Senior VP, Talent, Culture and Human Resources; Melissa Shivers, PhD, VP, Student Life | October 7, 2020
Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,
This year, the flu and COVID-19 will be circulating at the same time, increasing the risk of being exposed to both viruses. The combination of the two viruses could be life-threatening.
This is why it is important — now more than ever — to get your flu shot to help keep you and your family, friends and peers healthy and safe.
All students, faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to get a flu shot as soon as possible, whether you have returned to a campus or are at...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | September 25, 2020
Your commitment to safety is evident in the results of our testing program, which show that the seven-day average positivity rate for all students is 1.7% and has decreased nearly every day for 14 days.
Dear student leaders: You’ve heard the term ‘Together As Buckeyes’ a lot over the past few weeks, and I want to thank you for considering this an action statement and commitment, as well as a rallying cry. As you know, we have been closely monitoring positive COVID-19 cases among students and I am pleased to share that we continue to see stabilized results and a continued decrease in rates. With this in mind, effective tomorrow (Wednesday, September 23), we will resume the opportunity for student organizations to hold gatherings of ten or fewer people; as a reminder, a gathering is...
Kristina M. Johnson, PhD, President | September 18, 2020
We continue to focus on our community’s health and safety by wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart and practicing good hygiene, and our adherence to these practices is evident in our test results .
We are writing to share with you that Ohio State’s testing program will be expanded to include regular surveillance testing of asymptomatic graduate and professional students. This is part of the university’s multi-pronged strategy to inform our decision-making and mitigate and monitor the spread of COVID-19.
A surveillance testing program means that samples of students will be selected and tested for COVID-19; such testing is not in response to a known exposure or because someone is showing symptoms and does not require a self-quarantine period while awaiting test results. This allows the university to draw conclusions about the level...
