Category: News & Highlights

As we fade out of summer and into fall, we’re providing important reminders to help keep the Mason Nation strong!

Follow the sound practices we’ve used in the past: 

• Stay up to date, as eligible and recommended, on seasonal vaccines;
• Get a COVID or Flu test when you have symptoms;
• Isolate when you have a contagious illness; and
• Mask up when it makes sense.

Except for students seeking care at Student Health Services, Mason no longer has COVID-specific policies or procedures in place and instead we are relying on our community to follow guidance provided by both their own primary care provider (PCP) and local and federal public health.

Vaccines

Information and recommendations on the newest COVID-19 vaccine approved by the FDA will be available to the public shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices meeting being held today (September 12, 2023).  COVID-19, Flu vaccines and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccines (if recommended for you) are available through many pharmacies, urgent care facilities, and doctor’s offices.

Tests

Faculty/Staff

While COVID testing at Mason is no longer available to faculty and staff, tests are available through urgent care facilities, some doctor’s offices, and over-the-counter. It is prudent to determine if you have COVID when feeling symptoms in order to follow isolation and masking guidance geared towards limiting the spread, especially to high risk individuals.

Physicians and Urgent Care facilities can also test for Flu, RSV and other illnesses as symptoms indicate.

Students

Those being seen at Student Health Services may be tested for COVID or other respiratory illnesses, as medically indicated.  Visit the Student Health Services COVID Services webpage for detailed guidance specific for Mason students.

Masks

Masks are still very effective at limiting the spread of respiratory illnesses.  It is recommended to mask up when emerging from isolation, and prior to and when interacting in person with those that are at higher risk for severe illness and complications.  As we learned during the pandemic, N-95 masks provide a greater level of protection than cloth and surgical masks.

Absences

Faculty/Staff

Those that need special accommodations or arrangements related to telework or leave should engage their supervisor and Human Resources when needed. Faculty should be flexible with students who are ill and not require medical excuse notes.

Students

Those that need special arrangements related to class attendance or assignments should contact their instructor(s).

Additional Resources

Here are some links that may help you navigate seasonal illnesses and their impacts:

• Mason Communicable Disease Guide
• CDC health guidance
• CDC guidance on isolation with COVID
• Mason Policy 2215: Family Medical Leave
• Mason Policy 2216: Work Schedules and Attendance for Classified Employees 

Stay safe and strong Patriots!  

Angela Chezem, MD, FAAFP  

Medical Director, Employee Health & Well-being

Safety, Emergency, & Enterprise Risk Management

ehw.gmu.edu 

Nandini Koka, MD, FAAFP, FCUCM 

Executive Director, Student Health Services

University Life

shs.gmu.edu 

Continual wildfires in Canada have again led to uncommon smoky, and hazy conditions in Northern Virginia. These conditions have led the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to issue a Code Red Air Quality Alert for the Northern Virginia area.

The University plans to continue all indoor classes, activities and operations, however due to the Code Red alert:

• Outdoor activities should be moved inside or rescheduled if possible and when appropriate, additional flexibility offered to those who may be particularly sensitive to the current conditions
• Individuals should minimize outdoor time and exposure to the smoke/haze
• Anyone who is particularly sensitive to the current conditions should seek medical care if they experience any difficulties, and wear a high-quality mask when outdoors
• Employees who might have challenges in the current conditions should discuss informal telework or leave requests with their supervisor

We will continue to monitor the situation and this will remain in effect until the region is no longer under a Code Red Air Quality alert. The current air quality status can be found on the DEQ website here.

Safety, Emergency, & Enterprise Risk Management is proud to present its annual report, covering activities and accomplishments from fiscal year (FY) 2020 through FY 2022. This report details SEERM’s extensive COVID emergency response as well as routine operations over the last three fiscal years.

To download this report as a PDF, click here.

To view this report in an interactive format, click here.

This course provides information on how to respond to an active threat situation (a person with a weapon intent on causing harm), hands-on experience using a tourniquet,  and providing first aid to someone who is the victim of an attack. Participants will learn the RUN-HIDE-FIGHT response to active threat situations. This class offers participants the ability to ask what-if questions regarding active threat situations. This class is open to all faculty, staff, and students.

To register, click here or email seerm@gmu.edu for support.

Dear Patriots,

You have either heard of or experienced last month’s erroneous active threat announcement. Fortunately, this was not a real event, but instead an error caused by an external vendor which has been resolved.  For more information about this situation, please visit our advisories page.  Many members of our community reacted quickly using their training to find a safe location, barricade/lock doors, and helped others as necessary. Although we regret this incident, it does remind us of the importance of individual and institutional preparedness. We continue to explore ways to make our campuses as safe as possible.  Please help us in this endeavor by educating yourself on recommended preparedness and response procedures and report emergencies or suspicious conditions to University Police by calling (703) 993-2810.

Mason Alert: All students, faculty, and staff are strongly encouraged to register one or more cell phone numbers with Mason Alert, the university’s emergency notification system. Mason Alert text messages provide timely notification of events affecting your safety.

Active Threat Prevention and Response: Please take 15 minutes to review the university’s Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video designed to help you identify and report concerning behaviors. This video also reviews actions that should be taken if a person with a weapon is reported on campus.  To register for a scheduled viewing of the Active Threats Awareness and Prevention Video in the Johnson Center Cinema facilitated by University Police and the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHS) with a question and answer session, please click here. University Police provide routine Active Threat Training Opportunities or training upon request.  To sign up or request training please click here.

Rave Guardian Public Safety App: Mason offers a free public safety app to all students, faculty and staff. Rave Guardian is integrated with Mason Alert and offers a number of important features, including a virtual safety escort function, the ability to submit tips anonymously to University Police, and a panic call button that relays your location to University Police.  The Rave Guardian app is free through the iTunes store and the Google Play store. 

Be Prepared: Information on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies that might occur on campus is available at ready.gmu.edu. This site also has resources to help faculty and staff prepare for emergencies that interrupt classes or impact research activities.

If you have any questions or concerns about Mason’s readiness for potential emergencies on campus, please contact EHS at safety@gmu.edu or 703-993-8448.