Student Health saw an increase in coronavirus case counts among students after the start of the semester, Chief Student Health Officer Dr. Sarah Van Orman said in a briefing with the Daily Trojan Tuesday.

Students who develop coronavirus symptoms should test themselves for the virus and continue to follow USC guidelines and instructions if they test positive, Van Orman said.

“The good news is most of the cases we’re seeing among students are mild and not associated with severe illness or hospitalization,” Van Orman said. “But a good reminder for people is that we will anticipate [seeing] the virus [show] periods of increased activity and decreased activity.”

The city of Los Angeles issued an excessive heat warning that remained in effect until evening of Aug. 29. Van Orman said students should pay attention to heat alerts and to expect heat events to happen more often. 

“I think people who are otherwise younger and healthier, tend to think that those kinds of heat warnings might not be applicable or they can just tough through it, they’ll be fine,” Van Orman said. “Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”

Students can prevent heat-related illnesses by avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding alcohol, reducing physical activity, avoiding outdoor exercise and wearing light-weight and loose-fitting clothing, Van Orman said. 

With the start of a new school year, Van Orman also emphasized the mental health support students can access through Therapy+, a collection of extension services selected by Student Health. Students have access to services such as the Nod app and Oasis chat which are designed to allow students to get support on a more flexible schedule than having a full counseling appointment. 

“When our students were moving in this fall, we had little teddy bears in the dorms with Therapy+ t-shirts,” Van Orman said. “It was just a kind of reminder that we do have a bunch of services that we brought online this year.”

Oasis Chat is an app available to all USC students where students can anonymously chat with trained responders. The 24/7 service allows students to receive immediate support. Students can learn new stress management skills and create journals with guided prompts and set goals. 

The Nod app consists of self-guided tools designed to help students who are feeling anxious or having trouble sleeping. The app also provides tips on starting conversations with other students and trying new things. Students will be able to set social goals and connect with their community. 

“I really want people to be aware of Nod and the Oasis options,” Van Orman said. “Sometimes people might not be feeling great, but they’re like ‘I don’t think I need to see a counselor but I just need a little bit of support.’ And those are great options for students that they might not be aware of.”

Regular counseling services are also available. Students who are experiencing significant depression or anxiety can call the 24-hour crisis line and set up a time to talk with a counselor.  

For those who have experienced sexual violence or sexual assault, victim advocates are available 24/7 through Relationships and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP). Users can explore their options for forensic exams, reporting bodies and law enforcement and all conversations are kept confidential. Advocates can also help victims understand what their options are and what resources are available to them both on and off campus. 

“Unfortunately, gender-based violence and harm is very common in our world, in our community and on our campus,” Van Orman said. “It’s going to take a community to help prevent it and to lower that number of students experiencing that in our community.”

Van Orman encouraged students experiencing an emergency to go to the emergency room or call 911. If the situation is less urgent, Van Orman said students can call Student Health and receive homecare advice. 

The closest and most accessible emergency department for students is PIH Good Samaritan Hospital, and USC also has an emergency department at Verdugo Hills Hospital. Students can make same-day appointments on MySHR if they are sick or injured provided they call by 8:30 a.m.