If you think you need to be tested, please call the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport COVID-19 Command Center at 626-0050.
There is a list of mobile testing locations on our Testing & Resources page.

The reality is that for many critically ill COVID-19 patients having some type of breathing support is the only option for their survival. During our initial experience with critically ill COVID-19 patients, early intubation and mechanical ventilation was a first line treatment.  In the past couple of weeks, we have found that a certain subset of those critically patient may be managed with CPAP or BiPAP avoiding being intubated and on a ventilator.  Avoidance of intubation and mechanical ventilation often provides a better long term prognosis.

As we fight coronavirus together, the need for volunteers is greater than ever. Much of the existing workforce is being stretched thin in these times of crisis. If you’re able to volunteer, please visit covid-19lavolunteers.org. If you’re a healthcare student, graduate, or an active member or retiree of the healthcare workforce, please sign up to volunteer your time and talent to help the State and our healthcare system meet the challenges of COVID-19.

If you do not have healthcare training, but are willing to help, there are opportunities in care coordination, community engagement, technology assistance, and many more that can use your talent and time. This website to mobilize volunteers is a joint effort between LSU and the University of Louisiana, all other higher education institutions in Louisiana, and the State.

We thank you for lending your time and talents to make a difference in this fight. Now is the time to come together and do our part. Let’s show Louisiana what LSU can do.

Sincerely, 
Tom Galligan, LSU Interim President
G. E. Ghali, DDS, MD, FACS, FRCS (Ed), Chancellor, LSU Health Shreveport

On March 24th, Chancellor Ghali urged all healthy citizens to donate blood as soon as possible, as our local blood supply is critically low. Even during this crisis, traditional health care challenges exist and transfusions are still needed. Giving blood is necessary and sanctioned by state and national leadership. The impact of being a blood donor is equivalent to being on the front lines of health care.

Our local LifeShare Blood Center facilitates the safe donation of blood every day and they are skilled in infection control practices. Additional precautions are being taken at this time to include reducing the number of blood donors at any one time and additional cleaning requirements, for staff and are being performed with appropriate disinfectants, particularly around touch surfaces. 

Donating blood is safe and takes about half an hour. Our local blood shelters in Shreveport at 8910 Linwood Avenue and in Bossier at 1523 Doctors Drive have expanded their hours to 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, and 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. If you prefer to make an appointment to donate blood go to LifeShare.org. 

Remote Work Tips

*** NOTE: If you only need access to LSUHS email while working remotely, the LSUHS VPN should not be used. The LSUHS VPN should only be used when there is a need to access information internally (e.g. Department File Shares).

LSUHS VPN

In order to perform normal jobs duties and work remotely, you will need to utilize LSUHS's VPN. Utilizing the VPN will allow you to access resources that you normally would only be able to access if you were on the LSUHS network while providing an additional layer of security.

In order to utilize the LSUHS VPN the VPN client will need to be installed. This download and instructions on how to use the VPN client can be found at

• If you are not on the LSUHS network: https://portal.lsuhscshreveport.edu 
• If you are on the LSUHS network: https://vpn.lsuhscshreveport.edu

CLICK HERE FOR A LISTING OF LINKS FOR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following preventative actions:

• Avoid eating or drinking after others or sharing e-cigarettes.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

In light of new data about how COVID-19 spreads, along with evidence of widespread COVID-19 illness in communities across the country, CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face covering to cover their nose and mouth in the community setting. This is to protect people around you if you are infected but do not have symptoms. Learn more on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website.

A cloth face covering should be worn whenever people are in a community setting, especially in situations where you may be near people. These settings include grocery stores and pharmacies. These face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Cloth face coverings are especially important to wear in public in areas of widespread COVID-19 illness.

Wearing cloth face coverings is an additional public health measure people should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. CDC still recommends that you stay at least 6 feet away from other people (social distancing), frequent hand cleaning and other everyday preventive actions. A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, but it may prevent the spread of virus from the wearer to others. This would be especially important if someone is infected but does not have symptoms. View CDC’s guidance on how to protect yourself.

All university-related international travel is suspended by LSU Health Shreveport, at minimum, through June 30, 2020.

Students, faculty, and staff who are returning from any country or region that has been designated DoS Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory or a CDC Level 3 are prohibited from returning to any and all university campuses, facilities, and activities during a fourteen (14) day period from the date of departure from the country.

Students, faculty, and staff who have returned from an area where COVID-19 is spreading should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and take their temperature twice a day. If they develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 100⁰ F or more) they should stay at home and self-isolate. This means avoiding close contact (6 feet or nearer) with other people, including family members. They should also telephone their healthcare provider or the local public health department, giving them details of their recent travel and symptoms.

Until further notice, check with the Dean of your respective school and refer to your campus email and the updated "Messages" section of the website.

Following a directive from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards further restricting in-person events and in an attempt to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 spread the Office of Student Admissions will be closed for at least two weeks beginning Tuesday, March 16. All scheduled interviews will be postponed until further notice. We regret this inconvenience and hope you stay well.

Gifts/New Deposits – Gifts during this time are encouraged to be made online at https://www.lsuhsfoundation.org/give-now/. Gifts may also be mailed to the Foundation office or sent through campus mail. For any questions, please email vfentress@lsuhsfoundation.org.  

2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a virus identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. Learn more about the virus on this link.

Common signs of infection include fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, particularly those in persons with underlying severe and chronic health issues, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

When someone who has COVID-19 coughs or exhales they release droplets of infected fluid. Most of these droplets fall on nearby surfaces and objects - such as desks, tables or telephones. People could catch COVID-19 by touching contaminated surfaces or objects – and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. If they are standing within six feet of a person with COVID-19 they can catch it by breathing in droplets coughed out or exhaled by them. In other words, COVID-19 spreads in a similar way to flu.

The incubation period is the time between exposure to a pathogen and the appearance of the first symptoms. The CDC believes at this time that symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as many as 14 days after exposure. This is based on the incubation periods for similar viruses.

While the CDC considers this to be a serious public health concern, based on current information, the immediate health risk to the general American public is considered low.

• Avoid eating or drinking after others or sharing e-cigarettes.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

In light of new data about how COVID-19 spreads, along with evidence of widespread COVID-19 illness in communities across the country, CDC recommends that people wear a cloth face covering to cover their nose and mouth in the community setting. This is to protect people around you if you are infected but do not have symptoms. Learn more on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention website.

A cloth face covering should be worn whenever people are in a community setting, especially in situations where you may be near people. These settings include grocery stores and pharmacies. These face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Cloth face coverings are especially important to wear in public in areas of widespread COVID-19 illness.

Wearing cloth face coverings is an additional public health measure people should take to reduce the spread of COVID-19. CDC still recommends that you stay at least 6 feet away from other people (social distancing), frequent hand cleaning and other everyday preventive actions. A cloth face covering is not intended to protect the wearer, but it may prevent the spread of virus from the wearer to others. This would be especially important if someone is infected but does not have symptoms. View CDC’s guidance on how to protect yourself.

Coronaviruses do not live very long on surfaces, so it is considered to be very low risk to become infected by handling a package from China. There has been no evidence to support the spread of the virus through imported goods.

For up-to-date information, please check the following websites:

• US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization

80% of confirmed COVID-19 cases report mild symptoms, but severe illness and death are possible, especially for older adults with chronic medical conditions and people who are immunocompromised.

There is no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. People with a confirmed case of COVID-19 should receive supportive care to help relieve symptoms.

The CDC recommends using normal households disinfectants. Additionally, a mixture of 3 cups of bleach to 1 gallon of water may be used.

It is unusual for an asymptomatic person to infect others.

Until further notice, check with the Dean of your respective school and refer to your campus email and the updated "Messages" section of the website.

For up-to-date information, please check the following websites:

• US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization

If anyone at LSU Health Shreveport has concerns about being exposed to the virus, they should contact their health provider, and students may also contact the Student Health Center. Health professionals will evaluate you and determine if you need to be tested for the virus or if you need to self-quarantine. We pledge to immediately inform the campus if there are any confirmed cases of coronavirus at LSU Health Shreveport.

• The campus is closed at this time to all non-essential personnel and visitors. The only point of access is through the hospital and all persons entering must adhere to a mandatory temperature check before gaining entrance.
• Effective Monday, March 16, students in all three schools, including MSI and MSII, will be receiving the remainder of their spring semester classes on a web-based platform. 
• All university-sponsored events and activities through the end of April are cancelled. 
• For up-to-date information please go to messages from the administration.

We have received questions about summer programs. Since those events are still a few months away, we will continue to follow developments and make decisions on those things as we get closer to them. If you have registered or applied for any programs, you will be notified of any cancellations.

All university-sponsored events and activities through the end of April are cancelled including the following:

• IDEAS Day on March 14
• SAHP SGA Roaring 20's event/dance on March 14
• SAHP Spring Research & Roux on March 17
• Match Day Brunch on March 20
• Match Day on March 20
• Post-Match Meeting on March 23
• Cadaver Ball on March 27
• SGA Crawfish Boil on March 28
• White Coat Ceremony on April 18

The website events calendar will update events as notice is provided for all conferences and educational activities.

All students at LSU Health Shreveport have access to mental health services on an ongoing basis.  These services are available free of charge.  The Student Mental Health Services Office is located at 820 Jordan Street, Suite 104.  Mark Cogburn, MD and Josh Hollis, MA are available for appointments by calling (318) 676-5002.

To link to department meetings and seminars go to https://moodle.lsuhscs.edu/. Navigate to the department. Click on ECHO 360 PODCASTS/LIVE EVENTS. Find the seminar/meeting and click LIVE button. The recorded video will be available about an hour after a LIVE broadcast ends.

FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL LECTURES: 
LSU Health Shreveport has a Skype for Business Account that is accessible to all faculty, students and staff though your Outlook account. The attached PDF outlines steps to download Skype for Business and schedule Skype sessions via Outlook. 

LSU Health Shreveport is committed to protecting its faculty, staff, and employees from COVID-19 (coronavirus). The Chancellor's Memorandum 38 provides guidance for the use of leave to prevent exposure to COVID-19, and address dependent care issues arising from Proclamation No. JBE 2020-27. Go to the INSIDE to access other Chancellor Memorandums. If you are off-campus, access is available through VPN via these instructions. Access all LSU policies at https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/permanentmemoranda.php.

Remote Work Tips

*** NOTE: If you only need access to LSUHS email while working remotely, the LSUHS VPN should not be used. The LSUHS VPN should only be used when there is a need to access information internally (e.g. Department File Shares).

LSUHS VPN

In order to perform normal jobs duties and work remotely, you will need to utilize LSUHS's VPN. Utilizing the VPN will allow you to access resources that you normally would only be able to access if you were on the LSUHS network while providing an additional layer of security.

In order to utilize the LSUHS VPN the VPN client will need to be installed. This download and instructions on how to use the VPN client can be found at

• If you are not on the LSUHS network: https://portal.lsuhscshreveport.edu 
• If you are on the LSUHS network: https://vpn.lsuhscshreveport.edu

CLICK HERE FOR A LISTING OF LINKS FOR FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS

Download Remote Work Tips

Download Skype for Business instructions

Following a directive from Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards further restricting in-person events and in an attempt to help flatten the curve of the COVID-19 spread the Office of Student Admissions will be closed for at least two weeks beginning Tuesday, March 16. All scheduled interviews will be postponed until further notice. We regret this inconvenience and hope you stay well.

Countries outside of China have seen an increase in cases of COVID-19, leading to new travel advisories.

LSU Health Shreveport administration strongly encourages students, faculty, and staff to be aware of CDC and DOS travel watches and warnings and understand the global situation is rapidly evolving. All travelers need to be aware of potential associated risks of disruptions to reentry to the United States, including possible quarantine.

• CDC Coronavirus Disease Information for Travel - cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/
• DOS Travel Advisories - travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html/

LSU Health Shreveport has suspended all university-related international travel, at minimum, through June 30, 2020.

All non-essential university-related domestic travel is suspended, at minimum, through June 30, 2020.  Approvals for “essential” domestic travel requires direct approval of Mr. Jeff Reynolds, Vice Chancellor of Administration & Finance.

Personal travel, both domestic and international, is discouraged between now and June 30, 2020.  As stated in earlier messages, any previously approved business travel should be resubmitted to Mr. Jeff Reynolds at wreyn1@lsuhsc.edu.

Below are LSU directives for international travel during COVID-19 outbreak.

• Permanent Memorandum 13: University Travel: https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/pmfiles/pm_13.pdf
• Presidential Directive: https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/pmfiles/pm_13_2020_pres_directive.pdf
• Supplement: https://www.lsu.edu/administration/policies/pmfiles/pm_13_2020_supplement.pdf

Students, faculty, and staff who are returning from any country or region that has been designated DoS Level 3 or 4 Travel Advisory or a CDC Level 3 are prohibited from returning to any and all university campuses, facilities, and activities during a fourteen (14) day period from the date of departure from the country.

If you begin to feel sick with fever, cough or difficulty breathing, you should:

• Seek medical care right away.
• Ill employees should contact their doctor or local emergency room by phone
• Avoid contact with others.
• Do not travel while sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

Those returning from countries classified by the CDC as Levels 1 and 2 are required to monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days and take their temperature twice a day. If they develop even a mild cough or low-grade fever (i.e. a temperature of 100⁰ F or more) they should stay at home and self-quarantine. This means avoiding close contact (6 feet or nearer) with other people, including family members. They should also telephone their healthcare provider or the local public health department, giving them details of their recent travel and symptoms. 

If you become concerned or develop symptoms of illness while traveling in and around China, contact International SOS right away via phone (+1-215-942-8226) or the Assistance mobile app.

Members of the LSU Health Shreveport community, especially those from China, who are not sick but have an increased level of anxiety about the situation can contact the Office of Student Affairs for your respective school for support.

The CDC has not made any recommendations that travelers need to wear masks in an effort to prevent exposure to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

For up-to-date information, please check the following websites:

• US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• World Health Organization
• LSU Health Shreveport Medical Library