Healthy CONNECT

WEEKLY UPDATE | FEBRUARY 12, 2020 | SUSAN MORRIS, COVID-19 COORDINATOR

Stay Healthy, Stay CONNECTed

As the intense surge in COVID-19 cases continues a downward trend, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions

stabilizing, an increase in death rates will occur with a decline in the coming days. With new variants

discovered in the U.S., we still need to remain vigilant. SSCC will continue the adaptations to the COVID-19

threat by redesigning classroom and community spaces and encouraging employees to configure office space

to practice 6 feet of physical/social distancing, signage to remind students and staff to wear masks and wash

their hands frequently, and continue cleaning procedures to disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Please

continue to do your part.

This lengthy edition will provide updates on

statistics and vaccine deployment progress but will

focus on the continued hot topic of vaccine updates.

In additional to email delivery of this newsletter,

you can find all the newsletters in one convenient

location on the SSCC website here. For being

readers of this information, (click here) to answer our question of the week and enter our new monthly

drawing.

Hey Students! Need a Smart Spot?

We have over 2,000 smart spots at SSCC, but I’m not just

talking about our students this time! Did you know that

Southern State's SmartSpot® program is offering a limited

number of free wireless hotspot devices, with data limits,

and/or Laptops to students who do not have Internet access or

a Laptop at home? The program enables students to "check

out" Internet service or a Laptop for up to one semester at a

time-absolutely free. Both the devices and monthly service fees

are fully paid by Southern State. The program is intended to

help Southern State’s current students access online resources

at home, on a limited basis, to help support remote learning needs. The hotspot devices are filtered to block

non-educational resources, and the laptops are not able to store information directly on the hard drive.

Devices are still available for checkout this semester. Visit the library webpage to submit a request. Please keep

in mind that supplies are limited and available on a first come first serve basis. For questions, please contact a

library staff member at reference@sscc.edu.

The Vaccine

Decision Making - Facts you may not know…

COVID-19 Vaccine Update:

This is a typical picture of vaccinated

percentages across Ohio and this

picture will change as the vaccine

becomes more available. There is

good news in Ohio for the utilization

of available vaccines: Ohio is among

the top five states for delivering

COVID-19 vaccine doses to long-

term care facility residents. As a

result of this aggressive effort to

vaccinate those in long-term care, Ohio is beginning to see a drop in cases. Ohio was one of the first states to

draw unused doses from the long-term care program, and those 77,000 extra doses are being delivered this

week to select CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

For state distribution,

Pfizer has notified Ohio

that they believe they

will increase their

shipment of vaccine by

40 percent around mid-

to-late February.

Shipments could

additionally increase

even more by the end of

March. Pfizer

is currently shipping approximately 73,000 doses to Ohio per week. Moderna doses have increased from

73,200 two weeks ago to 105,600 doses that are expected next week. In addition, the federal retail pharmacy

program will soon begin allotting doses to Ohio's more than 160 Rite Aid pharmacies. Vaccine distribution will

also expand into all 194 Kroger pharmacies. Johnson & Johnson is expected to receive emergency use

authorization (EUA) from the FDA in early March.

Prioritization and Deployment

Because the U.S. supply of COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be limited at first, CDC is providing

recommendations to federal, state, and local governments about who should be vaccinated first. CDC’s

recommendations are based on those from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an

independent panel of medical and public health experts.

The Phases – where

are we?

This is the most accurate

information to date and is

subject to change.

Tentatively mark your

calendars with the following

information. Reach out to

your family, neighbors, and

friends to assist those that

may need assistance with

registration.

Phase 1B Continues

Week of February 8: Those

currently eligible to receive vaccine

in Ohio are:

Those 65+ years of age and

older

Teachers and school

personnel who are

necessary for in-person

learning in specified

counties

Individuals with severe

congenital, early-onset, or

inherited conditions and with developmental or intellectual disabilities

Individuals with severe congenital, early-onset, or inherited conditions and developmental or intellectual

disabilities should have been contacted by their local county board of developmental disabilities to

schedule their vaccination. If you believe that you or a loved one falls into this category and hasn't been

contacted, please contact your county board of developmental disabilities.

Week of February 15: Ohioans with any of the above conditions, and DO NOT have a developmental or

intellectual disability, will be eligible to receive the vaccination. Additional information on how these

individuals can choose to receive their vaccines is forthcoming.

K-12 SCHOOLS / SSCC CCP Faculty

Governor DeWine announced progress toward the goal of getting K-12 students back into the classroom by

March 1. In December, 45 percent of Ohio students were attending school remotely full-time, but today, less

than 15 percent of Ohio students are still attending classes completely online. Despite this progress, the

pandemic has taken a toll on academic progress, as demonstrated in the Ohio Department of Education’s fall

2020 enrollment report.

Vaccinations are available for K-12 personnel in Ohio schools in Phase 1B. K-12 schools have a designation as

to when their school has the opportunity to receive the vaccine.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution - K-12 Schools by County

Week #2 – 2/8/2021 Week #3 – 2/15/2021 Week #4 – 2/22/2021

Adams, Brown, Butler, Clark,

Columbiana, Cuyahoga, Fayette,

Gallia, Hamilton, Huron, Licking,

Lucas, Mercer, Montgomery,

Morrow, Muskingum, Noble,

Pickaway, Putnam, Stark, Vinton,

Williams.

Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll,

Champaign, Coshocton, Greene,

Guernsey, Hardin, Harrison,

Henry, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson,

Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Ottawa,

Paulding, Pike, Portage, Preble,

Richland, Scioto, Union, VanWert,

Warren, Wood, Wyandot

Auglaize, Belmont, Clermont,

Clinton, Crawford, Darke,

Defiance, Erie, Fairfield, Fulton,

Geauga, Hancock, Highland,

Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence,

Logan, Lorain, Madison, Marion,

Miami, Perry, Ross, Sandusky,

Seneca, Shelby, Trumbull,

Tuscarawas, Washington, Wayne,

Vaccination administration will be coordinated with school-provider partnerships. Each school district is

partnering with a vaccine provider. In Highland County, the school districts are organizing efforts through the

Highland County Health Department for the administration of approximately 650 vaccines to teachers, staff,

administration and volunteers.

If you are SSCC faculty working with CCP students who wish to receive the vaccine, please follow this advice:

If you are a SSCC employee that provides instruction in the CCP program AND if

you are PHYSICALLY PRESENT ON-SITE in the school buildings on a regular basis,

you are eligible to receive the vaccine in Phase 1B.

Please coordinate the scheduling of your vaccination with the local school

district in which you are teaching.

Vaccine Seekers

Each county has designated providers to administer the vaccine with now some healthcare provider offices

receiving their first vaccine shipment and more providers being added. New to the list:

HealthSource is now offering vaccination in all 8 county locations for phase 1B - register here.

Highland Health Providers has a limited number of vaccines available. Call 937-393-4899 for

appointments

Highland County designated providers are by

appointment and are listed here and have been sent to

your sscc.edu email box. The health department has an

online registration – find it here.

Not a Highland County Resident? Please visit the

website of your local health department linked here

through our SSCC website or the Ohio Department of

Health has launched a tool found at

https://vaccine.coronavirus.ohio.gov/ to assist residents

looking for a provider that has been allotted vaccines.

The tool will be searchable by zip code or county, but it

will not be updated in real-time. It is critical that those

eligible to receive a vaccine consult local resources to

determine up-to-date vaccine availability and helpful to

designate a family member to assist those in your family

that are eligible for vaccination in the current phased program.

Click here for complete details on Ohio’s vaccination program.

To learn more about the vaccine please visit the CDC here.

New Variants of the Virus that Cause COVID-19

Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are circulating globally. So far, studies suggest that

antibodies generated through vaccination with currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants,

considering the vaccine to be effective against the new variants. This is being closely investigated and more

studies are underway. Rigorous and increased compliance with public health mitigation strategies, such as

vaccination, physical distancing, use of masks, hand hygiene, and isolation and quarantine, is essential to

limit the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 and protect public health.

The Numbers

The CDC COVID Data Tracker provides maps, charts, and data provided by the CDC that is updated daily by

8:00pm EST. The CDC provides a tracking system that includes statistics for trends - global, US, state, and

county, cases, testing, community impact and now vaccinations. Find the tracker here.

CURRENT OHIO CASE DATA

In-depth data can be accessed by visiting coronavirus.ohio.gov. Along with national numbers, Ohio is seeing a

stabilization of numbers beginning a downward trend.

This week's Ohio Public Health Advisory System map shows little change. A county-by-county breakdown

outlining the presence of COVID-19 in all of Ohio's 88 counties can be found on the Ohio Public Health

Advisory System's website.

CURRENT SSCC CASE DATA

The SSCC Campus Data Graph shows increase in the SSCC student and employee numbers of confirmed

COVID-19 cases and quarantined cases that are due to an exposure to a SSCC employee or student who tested

positive for COVID-19.

The source of COVID-19 is not

necessarily directly related to SSCC.

It includes COVID-19 sources in

community, family, or even if

unknown. If the source was SSCC, it

is captured in the 2nd graph under

COVID-19 Transmission on

Campus.

Lastly, these two measures are not necessarily interrelated – meaning that the quarantine numbers are

not necessary related to the positive cases. The interrelationship of these two variables in shown in the

second graph.

The SSCC Related Transmission

of Exposures on Campus Graph

shows zero COVID-19 related

transmissions in February,

defined as: the number of SSCC

employee or student that test

positive for the virus that can be

traced to an exposure to another

SSCC student or employee with

the virus.

COVID-19 exposures on campus have increased and are defined as: the number of quarantined

employees and students who are exposed on campus through a COVID-19 positive SSCC student or

employee.

10

13

00

5

10

15

January February

2021 SSCC Campus Related Transmission or Exposure

COVID-19 Transmission on Campus COVID-19 Exposures on Campus

20

4

27

7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

January February

SSCC Campus Data 2021

Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Quarantined Due to Exposure

Celebrate Safe!

Safer Ways to Enjoy Valentine’s Day

The safest way to celebrate Valentine’s Day is

gathering virtually or with people who live with you.

Make Valentine cards or decorations and drop

them off to loved ones

Take a walk with your Valentine

Build a snowman, have a snowball fight, and

make snow angels

Celebrate with loved ones virtually

Prepare a special meal or dessert

Plan a special movie or game night

Reminder: New Reporting Process For All SSCC Employees and Students

Thank you for contacting me to ensure us the most accurate picture for our campus. Please continue to notify

me of your COVID-19 concerns, questions, exposures, positive testing, and symptoms by email at

covid19@sscc.edu. As the SSCC COVID-19 Coordinator, I attend to the college's responsibility to ensure

information regarding reportable public health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic are provided to

local health departments and that you receive timely advice. An email with the new streamlined reporting

questionnaire will be sent to your sscc.edu mailbox when you indicate that you have symptoms, have been

exposed, or tested positive for COVID-19. The process takes from 5-10 minutes of your time.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Your commitment to practicing health care preventative measures matters!

Take the Updated Pledge for Spring 2021!

Through observations, there is a high compliance level of participation in preventative measures. The

preventative measures remain in place for Spring 2021 with daily symptom monitoring, wash up, mask up

and back up. I want to honor the commitment you have made through this Healthy CONNECT campaign by

giving you the opportunity to put it in writing. Please consider completing the Healthy CONNECT Pledge

(find it here). There will be a drawing from those who complete the pledge.

January Winners

Bethany Woolever – Student / Susan Armstrong - Employee

Become a 2021 Health Ambassador!

SSCC is connecting you to a healthy future by overcoming fear and nurturing good lifestyle

choices needed to eliminate COVID-19 transmission through our Health Ambassador

campaign. We continue to recruit volunteers to assist in the program and federally funded

work study opportunities are available.

Contact Susan Morris at covid19@sscc.edu or (937) 509-7828 to volunteer or apply for Federal Work Study as

a Health Ambassador.

______________________________________________________________________________________

In additional to email delivery of this newsletter, you can find all the newsletters in one convenient

location on the SSCC website here.

For being readers of this information, (click here) to answer our question of the week and enter our

new monthly drawing.

o January Winner – Mary Clinton

o Last week’s question was TRUE: Multiple variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are

circulating globally. So far, studies suggest that antibodies generated through vaccination with

currently authorized vaccines recognize these variants.

Remember we will also use the alert system for critical events, so please make sure you are signed up

for those notifications here: https://www.sscc.edu/students/alerts.shtml

Operational Hours: All locations remain open with face-to-face, online and hybrid class options with

operating hours Monday-Thursday from 8am-5pm and Fridays available by appointment. Please refer

to the website for any updates operational hours for the campus and the academic calendar for

semester schedule.

Want to keep up with the latest and most reliable updates regarding COVID-19? Please go to the Ohio

Department of Health at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/families-and-

individuals/News-Releases and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/whats-new-all.html

If you are affected by the virus, we ask that:

o Students maintain contact with your professors and advisors to develop accommodations to be

successful in your academic endeavors at SSCC; and

o Employees maintain contact through your supervisor and the human resources department.

Stay Healthy, Stay CONNECTed,

Susan Morris BSN MOL

937.509.7828 covid19@sscc.edu