HOW SDSU IS ADDRESSING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The rise of Omicron has ignited a global discussion about when we will see the “end” of the pandemic. We are two years in, and are seeing the consistent rise of new variants, first Delta then Omicron. We are realizing there will be no return to a pre-pandemic normal. But that doesn’t mean the pandemic doesn’t end.
So many aspects of our lives — the way we work, the way we collaborate, how we connect across distance and how we perceive and manage public health threats — have been reshaped by COVID-19.
This long and painful period has also shown that we — individually and collectively — hold the power to move on from epidemic to endemic. This means accepting that COVID-19 will remain present in our global society, which means accepting that individual actions can mitigate risk and reduce health and societal impacts. If we want to move into endemic status and if we want to significantly reduce the infection and death rates associated with COVID-19, it begins with recognizing our daily habits will make that difference in reaching this endemic status.
A growing body of research shows that COVID-19 will one day become endemic. Evidence is clear that we will likely not see a future in which COVID-19 will be completely eradicated. Many factors will influence this future, including the type of immunity people acquire through infection or vaccination, and how the virus continues to evolve and mutate. In the future, it is likely that this virus will remain with us, just as we have seasons of heightened cases with the flu.
Yet we should not be fearful; for generations we have learned to increasingly coexist with disease. In a future with effective vaccines and high vaccination rates, COVID-19 may continue to circulate but likely only cause mild to moderate illness, if it causes symptoms at all. The current variants are far, far different than the flu, but we can anticipate a future when the virus is better controlled. Again with Omicron, we have been seeing spikes in case rates, but research is showing that they are not as strongly correlated with hospitalization and death rates as they were earlier in the pandemic.
Applying what we have already learned about the pandemic to date, we know that some of the most powerful tools that will help us
contain the virus lie within our control. These include getting vaccinated, getting boosted, and taking common sense daily precautions. At San Diego State University, over the duration of the pandemic, we have applied a multi-layered “swiss cheese” approach, adapted from the work of virologist Ian Mackay and cognitive psychologist James Reason, with a host of interventions, following research-informed best practices in alignment with our California State University system. Also at SDSU, we have required testing, available on demand through 18 vending machines, vaccination and now booster requirements; enhanced cleaning and disinfection; and temporarily shifted to virtual instruction when spread is at its peak. We also have wastewater testing and required masking, frequent and updated health messaging, and more.
What we have found on our campus, like many other environments, is this model of layered protections and daily actions work.
The vast majority of our students, faculty and staff
We should not be fearful; for generations we have learned to increasingly coexist with disease.
were vaccinated before fall 2021, during which time we were able to keep our infection rates at approximately 1 percent throughout the entire semester. This year, we decided to temporarily delay in-person instruction for two weeks — which allows additional time for our eligible students, faculty and staff to get boosted and to share their records with the university to meet the CSU requirement. Already, more than 21,000 members of our campus community have uploaded copies of their boosters, and we anticipate more than 95 percent of those eligible will have done so by the time we are back in person in February.
We understand that COVID-19 will remain within our global community for longer than we had hoped. We also understand that we have the power to change the course of its impact — when we take responsibility for our daily actions, recognize their impact on the collective good, and normalize these practices into our community fabric.
At SDSU, we strive to create this model, disrupt the pandemic’s path, and reach a more predictable and safe future.