Dear TCC students,

Our Fall 2021 semester is well under way and so far, things have gone remarkably well from a campus health perspective. COVID-19 case rates have stayed low on campus and in those rare instances of a positive COVID-19 case, there has been very little to no transmission amongst the identified close contacts.

While this is very welcome news, I would caution against letting our guard down and becoming complacent with the proper hygiene and social distancing mitigating factors which have helped get us here. While currently on the downturn, this pandemic continues to rage on and LA County is still experiencing substantial transmission.

Locally on our campuses, after over two weeks of not picking up any COVID-19 student cases with our saliva screening testing, this week we have already seen seven new student cases. This is yet another reminder that while we are able to safely return to an in-person campus experience, it is highly contingent upon continued best practices from everyone on campus.

Other than COVID-19, SHS continues to see students for a variety of other respiratory ailments, such as common colds, strep throat and infectious mononucleosis (“mono”). The mechanisms of spread for these other respiratory diseases can also be abated by following the same commonsense precautions we have come to learn and practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. This will become even more paramount as we approach influenza (“flu”) season. Travel during the upcoming holiday breaks adds yet another layer of risk for all respiratory infections on our campus.

Regards,

Prateek Jindal, DO

Director, Student Health Services

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Below are tips on how to keep yourself and others from getting sick. Please take a few minutes to review them.

MINIMIZE YOUR OWN RISK OF GETTING ILL

  • Wash your hands (a lot) – soap and water for 20 seconds
  • Stay away from those with fevers or coughs as best you can – Be kind and offer help to friends, roommates, or suite mates, but avoid spending time with them for long periods. Offer to help get medication or meals or offer them masks and use a mask yourself. If they have not been evaluated by a medical professional, encourage them to contact SHS.
  • Get vaccinated – If you have not already received your influenza (flu) vaccine yet, please call SHS at (909) 621-8222 for a nurse appointment, or use one of the links below to receive the vaccine during one of our upcoming flu vaccine clinics. Remember, flu vaccine is required (mandatory) for students at all campuses this year

Upcoming SHS Flu Shot Clinics:
October 15 Morning
October 15 Afternoon
October 22 Morning
October 22 Afternoon
October 26 Morning
October 26 Afternoon
October 27 Morning 
October 27 Afternoon
October 28 Morning 
October 28 Afternoon

  • Avoid crowded indoor situations, especially off campus venues such as bars, lounges, nightclubs, concerts & mega sporting events
  • Healthy eating (avoid skipping meals or eating only junk food)
  • Minimize caffeine – minimize alcohol – avoid other drug use
  • Get plenty of rest (try to stay on the same sleep cycle)
  • Get some exercise
  • Reduce stress

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DO YOUR PART TO PREVENT OTHERS FROM GETTING SICK

If you are ill:

  • Wash your hands – a lot! (soap and water, 20 seconds)
  • If you have a fever – Call SHS at (909) 621-8222 (we are appointment based, so please call ahead for an appointment)
  • Minimize contact with others and wear a mask
  • Don’t go to class and don’t go to public gatherings
  • If you have a bad cough–Call SHS at (909) 621-8222
  • Stay well hydrated
  • If you have a sore throat for any reason–Call Student Health Services
  • Avoid alcohol. Avoid all illicit drugs
  • Don’t share drinks. At all!

If you are not ill:

  • Never share your prescription medication with anyone. This includes drugs that you think will help someone that is sick. This also includes others you think may benefit from your ADHD medication
  • Encourage those who are sick to minimize contact with other students
  • If you have not received your required immunizations, please contact SHS to do so. This is the best way to protect your friends and roommates
  • Don’t share drinks. At all!