SOP HANDBOOK

American University of Health Sciences

RETURN TO CAMPUS (RTC)

To: AUHS Students

It is the goal of American University of Health Sciences to maintain compliance with Center for Disease Control (CDC), State, and Los Angeles County guidelines regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) safety practices in the workplace. To that end, we are requiring new practices to be enacted in keeping compliance. Please review the following guidelines, sign the document, and return to student services acknowledging that you will adhere to and accomplish these policies when on campus. Please keep in mind that this document cannot cover every situation, and that AUHS expects its students to use good judgment for any situations or practices not mentioned here. Students are advised to contact Student Services at for covid-19 related inquiries, and/or contact your school dean for inquiries relating to these policies.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/colleges-universities/considerations.html

— — —————————————————————————————————————————————————

OVERVIEW: According to CDC, COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly through close contact from person-to-person (within about 6 feet), through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks, or may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms. Another factor is whether the spread is sustained, which means it goes from person-to-person without stopping. It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes (https://www.cdc.gov/)

Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs)

Key Points

This guidance supplements and does not replace any federal, state, tribal, local, or territorial health and safety laws, rules, and regulations with which IHEs must comply.

  • This guidance provides resources that IHE administrators can use to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among students, faculty, and staff.
  • IHE administrators can help protect students, faculty, and staff and slow the spread of COVID-19 by encouraging vaccinations and using CDC’s Guidance for IHEs.
  • IHEs can help increase vaccine uptake among students, faculty, and staff by providing information about COVID-19 vaccination, promoting vaccine trust and confidence, and 65 establishing supportive policies and practices that make getting vaccinated as easy and convenient as possible.
  • IHEs can play a critical role in offering and promoting vaccination to help increase the proportion of students, faculty, and staff that are vaccinated to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and prevent interruptions to in-person learning.
  • CDC recommends indoor masking in public for everyone in areas of substantial or high transmission.
  • CDC recommends time for isolation be a minimum of 5 days for everyone and quarantine be a minimum of five full days for those who are not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines. People who are severely ill with COVID-19 and people with compromised immune systems might need to isolate at home longer. For details see Quarantine and Isolation.
  • Shared housing (for example, dormitories) in institutions of higher education is considered a lower risk congregate setting due to the lower risk of severe health outcomes (such as hospitalizations and death) associated with young adults. Therefore, CDC recommends shared housing in IHE settings follow the general public guidance for quarantine and isolation.
  • IHEs should implement an entry screening testing strategy at minimum for people who are not up to date with their vaccines prior to the beginning of each term, including those who live off campus.
  • IHEs should initiate increased serial screening testing among students, faculty, and staff at a minimum for those who are not up to date with their vaccine, in addition to rapid case investigation and contact tracing in the context of moderate, substantial, or high community transmission.

*continued Updates from CDC will be sent to students and posted in this handbook

Required Policies: AUHS is requiring its students to comply with the following CDC mandatory guidelines:

1. Sick students should not return to campus, or end isolation until they have met CDC’s criteria to discontinue home isolation.

2. Physical distancing: Avoid close contact with others, especially if they are sick. Keeping a 6-foot distance is the CDC recommendation. Remember that some people without symptoms may be contagious. Cover your mouth with a tissue or handkerchief if you cough or sneeze and wash your hands thoroughly after doing so.

3. Cleaning and disinfecting the area(s) you used: Areas in the classroom, library, student lounge, cafeteria, chairs, desktops, etc. Please sanitize/disinfect these areas you used with sanitizer/disinfectant available in each area. Office door handles and countertops will be disinfected nightly at the minimum. AUHS will provide disinfectant, and cleaning supplies needed. If you have small, individual hand sanitizers, we recommend you bring them with you for your own personal use, as well.

4. Masking: AUHS students will wear their own personal mask at all times while on campus and interacting with other employees, and students. Bandannas are not allowed to be used as masks. AUHS will notify visitors to wear a mask when on campus.

5. Handwashing: Students will wash their hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water, particularly after having contact with frequently used surfaces.

6. Personal Items: Avoid bringing to campus. Choices of bringing items to the campus are limited to books, papers, pens, and other necessary materials to meet the instructional objectives for the day. Purses and backpacks should be placed in the vehicle trunk, or if this is unavoidable, placed in one location and not moved.

7. Common Areas: Seating where students will be present will be staggered at 6 feet or more. When entering and exiting a room, students should avoid walking through a doorway at the same time. Allow one person to enter and another to exit to maintain distancing.

8. Lunch and Break Rooms on campus: Student’s lunches and breaks will be staggered to restrict the number of people allowed at one time so that a six-foot distance can be maintained. The area must be cleaned and disinfected after each use. There will be no shared paper/plastic products in the student lounge areas, cafeteria, and outdoors seating areas. There will be no shared food. Students should bring utensils from home. Students should bring their own bottled water or soft drinks from home.

9. Restrooms: Restrooms will be used one person at a time. AUHS will create “In Use” signs to be posted. When using restrooms, please use all CDC safety recommendations, to include washing of hands for 20 seconds prior to exiting, and using a paper towel to open the door, remember to discard the paper towel following exit of the restroom.

10. Spacing: When students are working together or with others, i.e. in skills laboratory, they will maintain a space of six feet at all times. Limit gathering to the least number as much as possible.

11. Limit any nonessential gatherings and activities during lunch, breaks, and after school.

American University of Health Sciences’ obligation to your health and safety:

 

  • AUHS students who are exhibiting symptoms of illness will be required to stay home. Students who show up to work with symptoms of illness (coughing, sneezing, runny nose, elevated temperature, shortness of breath), will be sent home. students are encouraged to self-monitor their symptoms through regular temperature checks and self-assessments and call in sick if they feel they may be experiencing illness.
  • AUHS will establish a plan in case a student is diagnosed with COVID-19 and has recent close contact with employees and other students (closer than 6 feet for ten minutes or more), which may include a 14-day home quarantine for any affected employee.
  • Student complaints about perceived safety issues will be taken seriously and investigated, and AUHS will not take any retaliatory action against employees who make such claims in good faith.
  • AUHS leadership will check in regularly to ensure these guidelines are being followed and respond to any questions or concerns students may have. AUHS will also send out regular updates via e-mail regarding any changes of policies.
  • AUHS maintains full compliance with all Federal, State, and County mandates, and ensuring the health and safety of our students, employees, and clients is our first priority.
  • This situation is ongoing and evolving, and AUHS will monitor the situation for guidance and provide updates to this document as they happen.
    We appreciate your cooperation in the policies above to keep our workplaces safe for our students, employees and others. Please let your instructor, school dean, and student services know if you have any questions or concerns.
    Additional resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/quarantine-isolation.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/coronavirus-self-checker.html

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT/SIGNATURE:

Student Statement and Acknowledgment Regarding COVID-19

I have read the above CDC guidelines and agree to abide by these guidelines fully. I also understand that updates to CDC guidelines on COVID-19 will be provided by the school and that I am also responsible to seek these updates on my own. Affiliating agencies may require mandatory COVID-19 vaccination for students to be able to continue and complete required clinical rotation hours, therefore, I will comply with the requirements set forth by affiliation sites utilized by AUHS. If I have any questions about these guidelines and affiliation sites requirements, I will contact my school dean or student services.

_________________________________                                      _________________________________________

Printed Name                                                                                                    Student Signature

_________________________________

Date