Dear New York Tech Students, Faculty, and Staff: As of April 14, 2022, approximately 60.3 million cases of COVID-19 and 954,744 cumulative total deaths have been reported in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) since the start of the pandemic. Over the past seven-day period, the state reporting the highest number of cases per 100,000 people is Vermont (226); Wyoming reported the least (2.9). In comparison, New York State has 201.6 per 100,000, New York City has 181.6, and Arkansas has 18.8. Locally, Long Island’s seven-day average COVID-19 testing positivity rate is now at 5.2 percent, compared with 3.1 percent for all boroughs of New York City. These percentages have increased in the past two weeks. In New York State, new hospitalizations—although relatively level—have increased to 1.04 from 0.71 per 100,000 people two weeks ago. The surveillance continuum for the coronavirus usually starts with increased transmission—demonstrated by increased cases, followed by increased hospitalizations, and finally increased mortality (death) rate. In the past seven-day period, Oregon is the state with the highest mortality rate, at 4.6 deaths per 100,000 people, while Alabama and Oklahoma have the lowest at 0. In comparison, Arkansas has had one death per 100,000, and New York State has reported 0.4 deaths per 100,000 people. Nationally, mortality rates are forecasted to decrease over the next four weeks, likely the result of earlier decreasing transmission rates: More than 567 million doses of COVID vaccines have been administered in the United States. As of April 14, 77.3 percent of the population has received at least one dose, 65.9 percent is now fully vaccinated, and 45.3 percent has received an additional booster. In New York State, 89.8 percent of the total population has received at least one dose, and 76.5 percent is fully vaccinated. The rate of people receiving vaccines continues to decline. Some colleges—including American University and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.—have reinstated mask mandates as a result of recent outbreaks. Rice University in Texas recorded an outbreak of 111 cases and also reinstated the mask policy. Locally, Columbia University, New York University, and Pace have also reinstated mask requirements, whereas St. Johns, Fordham, and the City University of New York (CUNY) have not. Each college makes policy decisions based on its particular risks. Unlike New York Tech, colleges with dormitories are particularly susceptible to outbreaks and must take additional precautions. At commuter colleges, assessing the state of COVID transmission in the community is of paramount importance. To assist with “on-campus” community mitigation policies, New York Tech follows guidance from New York State and the CDC. The CDC uses a combination of metrics—case rate per 100,000 people, new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people, and the percentage of staffed inpatient beds in use by patients with confirmed COVID-19—to assign a specific county level of high, medium, or low risk. Based on these metrics, no counties in the New York City region (the five boroughs, Long Island, and Westchester) have attained the “high” category in which masks are required indoors. Additionally, New York Tech monitors COVID cases on campus, so if there were an outbreak, mask requirements could be reinstated and one or more campuses could even be closed in consultation with the local health department. In recent weeks, New York Tech has never had more than 10 students or employees in isolation due to COVID. Given the vaccine status of our campuses, the low number of cases, and the decreased virulence of the Omicron variant, including BA.2, we remain fortunate that no urgent actions have been necessary. However, we must remain vigilant, and all members of the New York Tech community should continue to report if they have been infected and remain at home in isolation should they become infected. To assist with COVID testing, a new technology has been granted emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration: A breathalyzer test, which can reportedly obtain results in three minutes, can be performed in environments where the patient specimen is both collected and analyzed (i.e., doctor’s offices, hospitals, mobile testing sites) using an instrument about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage. This innovative device may prove to be very helpful in community mitigation efforts. Despite all of the positive trends, the infection rate of local and D.C.-based politicians has made it clear that COVID remains a formidable public health concern that will be around in some form or other in the foreseeable future. Therefore, as previously shared, frequent handwashing, remaining at home and avoiding large crowds when ill, and testing for COVID and isolation as appropriate are all prudent actions we should incorporate into our daily lives to prevent the transmission of SARS Cov-2 as well as other communicable microbes. As a reminder, proof of vaccination for all community members is still required by New York Tech. Please find more information about our vaccination and testing policies and how to upload proof of vaccination here. If you have not done so yet, please upload your proof of vaccination and booster(s) so that we have a record for our database and health screen! As always, those who may feel anxious or uneasy can reach out to Counseling and Wellness Services at our campuses in Long Island (516.686.7683) or New York City (212.261.1773) to talk or make a virtual appointment. Our medical students can reach out to NYITCOM’s Counseling and Wellness in Long Island (516.686.7636) or Arkansas (870.680.8839). Sincerely, Brian L. Harper M.D., M.P.H. Chief Medical Officer, NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine Copyright © 2022 New York Institute of Technology