Campus case numbers remain consistent


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Coronavirus cases may rise after next weekend as students travel for Coachella, Easter, Passover and Ramadan. (Amanda Chou | Daily Trojan file photo)

Coronavirus case numbers are not decreasing as significantly as anticipated, Chief Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a student media briefing Tuesday. Last week, there were 259 positive coronavirus cases, compared to 320 positive cases the week before.

“Where we are right now is we are not seeing the cases increase exponentially, but we are seeing a continued level of elevated cases,” Van Orman said. “That’s really what we’re concerned about right now.”

According to most recent data from the USC COVID-19 Dasboard,  students occupied 116 spaces for quarantine purposes, but Van Orman said there is still “plenty of capacity” available.

Currently, there have occurred multiple coronavirus “clusters” across campus in particular programs and residential colleges, Van Orman said. USC Student Health notified particular students who are likely to be exposed and requested they test twice a week for the next two weeks to prevent case numbers from increasing further. 

Additionally, with Coachella, Easter, Passover and Ramadan happening this weekend, many students will travel away from campus to celebrate, Van Orman said. 

Student Health sent out an email Tuesday encouraging those who plan on traveling to get tested before and after their trip. Antigen test kits will be available at testing sites for students to pick them up and take on their trip prior to returning to campus. Students traveling to see relatives who may be at higher risk of infection and serious illness are also encouraged to test.

“If you’re coming back from travel, please test. If you have symptoms, please test. If you’re exposed, please test,” Van Orman said. “The antigen tests are another tool we want to make available.” 

More than 90% of coronavirus cases on campus are of the BA.2 variant, which is consistent with Los Angeles County data. BA.2, a more infectious variant than the BA.1 variant, has seen an increase in cases within certain parts of the country, Van Orman said.

“Even within L.A. County, we’ve seen about a 25% increase in the last two weeks,” she said. 

Currently, hospitalizations and deaths are not increasing in L.A. County. These numbers would need to go up for there to be a reinstatement of masking policies, Van Orman said. 

“What we don’t know right now is: ‘Is this BA.2 going to cause a small increase in cases that can still be managed? Or is it going to be an exponential increase, like we saw over the winter?’” Van Orman said.

There are currently no plans to reinstate masking mandates within L.A. County or at USC, according to Van Orman. It is possible, however, that coronavirus clusters on campus will be asked to test and wear masks in particular areas to prevent student case numbers increasing further. 

Similarly, there are no plans to reinstate Trojan Check for this semester. However, physical infrastructure will remain up in case it does need to be reinstated at any time.

Student Health still recommends all USC community members wear masks. People who are at high risk or want to further protect themselves are encouraged to use an N-95 mask. It is important that any student who wants to wear a mask feels comfortable doing so, Van Orman said. 

“We are trying really hard at USC to keep student case numbers down, because we know they contribute not only to that health and safety concerns on campus, but the overall county, and that’s why we’re asking students particularly if they’re going to be traveling to test,” Van Orman said.