For information about COVID-19 vaccinations or testing for OSU-Tulsa students, faculty and staff, contact the OSU-Tulsa Student/Occupational Health Nurse at CHSCOVID19@okstate.edu or 918-281-2755. If you are symptomatic or test positive for COVID-19, contact the Student/Occupational Health Nurse immediately.

Members of the public seeking COVID-19 testing or vaccinations should visit the Tulsa Health Department website.

OSU-Tulsa COVID-19 Update

View OSU Stillwater Fall 2022 COVID-19 back to school update.

Updated: Aug. 22, 2022

Cowboy family,

The OSU Pandemic Response Team has been meeting weekly throughout the summer, watching the data and the progression of the COVID-19 variants, including BA.5, the most prevalent strain at this time. 

The team is also gathering data on monkeypox. It’s important to remember that monkeypox does not pose the same threat that COVID-19 did in the early stages of the pandemic before vaccines were available. Monkeypox is rarely fatal and is primarily spread through skin-to-skin contact. Read more about monkeypox on the UHS or CDC websites. 

COVID-19 protocols for a positive case in class

During the fall semester, instructors will still have the same three options should there be a positive case reported in class and can temporarily shift the delivery mode. For up to two weeks, instructors must choose from among the following options:

• Move the course online
• Teach in a hybrid format (part online/part in-class) to ensure social distancing and reduce further exposure. For students and instructors attending a face-to-face class, masks will be required for the duration of the two weeks.
• Continue the course face-to-face with masks required of all students and instructors attending.

If there is a new positive case in a class while the class is meeting fully in-person or in a hybrid format, the two-week period restarts if the person who tested positive has been attending in-person. If there is a new positive case while the class is meeting online, the two-week window will not restart since there were no additional potential exposures in class.

Vaccination

Vaccination remains our best defense against the virus and its emerging variants. Employee/Student Health has access to both the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) single-dose vaccine and both mRNA two-dose vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna). The vaccine is available at no out-of-pocket cost regardless of insurance status. Please bring your insurance card with you to your appointment.

You can schedule an appointment to receive your COVID-19 vaccine by calling 918-281-2755 or emailing chsstudhealth@okstate.edu.   

Booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are now available for some people, including those in high-risk occupational and institutional settings. Last week, the FDA authorized and the CDC approved the vaccine to be administered as a booster at least six months after completion of the primary Pfizer vaccine series.

Pharmacies in the Tulsa area offering vaccines include:

• Walgreens
• CVS
• Sam’s Club
• Walmart

Find additional COVID-19 vaccine locations at Vaccines.gov.

Testing

COVID-19 testing is widely available in Tulsa County, including all local health care systems and many doctors' offices. Insurance plans, including OSU's employee health insurance plan, should pay some or all of the cost of COVID-19 testing. You can also order at-home tests, which can be requested from the federal government and shipped to your residence.

The importance of self-reporting

With the rise in at-home tests, it's important for students and employees to remember to report a positive at-home or off-campus test to CHSCOVID19@okstate.edu or 918-281-2755. This makes it possible for the appropriate area or department in Tulsa to be notified and the case can be included in the case counts, providing the Pandemic Response Team with a more accurate picture of active cases on campus. 

CDC changes quarantine/isolation protocols

The CDC has modified its isolation/quarantine protocols. Quarantine, for those who have been exposed to the virus, is no longer necessary regardless of vaccination status. See the details on the CDC website. 

Employee guidance for a positive case

Employees who test positive will need to isolate for 10 days, using sick leave and/or working remotely with approval by their supervisor, in accordance with college and division guidelines. If the individual is asymptomatic and the department would like for them to return to work after day five, they may do so but must wear a mask for the duration of the 10 days.

If you are an employee and are unable to report to work due to illness or COVID-19 exposure, please follow departmental call-in procedures and use appropriate accrued sick leave unless authorized by your supervisor to work remotely. It is also appropriate for faculty and staff to use accrued sick leave for absences required due to child care and school disruptions caused by COVID-19 illnesses and staffing shortages.

Dashboard

OSU’s fall 2022 COVID-19 dashboard launched on Aug. 12. Using input from the faculty Pandemic/Endemic Planning task force, the Pandemic Response Team worked with Institutional Research and Analytics to identify data in which our community expressed interest. In addition to information about active cases on the Stillwater campus, the new dashboard provides county and statewide data about community transmission levels and hospitalizations.

Because of the large amount of at-home antigen testing performed, the dashboard will no longer report test positivity. While it was a good metric to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 cases and the level of testing in a community previously, the current scale of home testing means that a disproportionate percentage of people testing at UHS are symptomatic and more likely test positive.

The dashboard will be updated every Friday at 2 p.m.

Masks

Masks will remain encouraged on campus. As we enter the fall semester, please review the CDC guidelines and make the best decision for your personal health, while also being mindful of those around you.

Facilities

• OSU-Tulsa has installed a Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization air cleaning system in each campus building. Third-party testing shows that Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization kills up to 98% of COVID virus with 60 minutes. This technology continually eliminates pathogens in all areas where the air circulates, including classrooms, offices and common spaces.
• Hand sanitizer stations are available near high touch areas like elevators.
• Masks are available upon request.

Questions? Email CHSCOVID19@okstate.edu in Tulsa or covid19@okstate.edu in Stillwater.

Find FAQs, which are being regularly updated, here.

Dr. Johnny Stephens,
Interim President, OSU-Tulsa
Senior Vice President for Health Affairs, OSU