{"id":10936,"date":"2021-02-22T20:19:10","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T20:19:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=10936"},"modified":"2024-09-17T18:50:05","modified_gmt":"2024-09-17T18:50:05","slug":"on-the-spot-alicia-quella","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2021\/02\/22\/on-the-spot-alicia-quella\/","title":{"rendered":"Augsburg\u2019s in-house epidemiologist guides Auggies through the COVID-19 pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Associate Professor Alicia Quella<\/strong> (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Remember those days of uncertainty in March 2020, when we had more questions than answers, and before most of us used terms like \u201ccoronavirus\u201d and \u201csocial distancing\u201d?<\/p>\n

The United States saw an increase in COVID-19 infections, and some states\u2014including Minnesota\u2014applied stay-at-home orders to mitigate the spread. Weeks before that inflection point, Augsburg University administrators, faculty, and staff convened a COVID-19 task force.<\/p>\n

Not all educational institutions have an epidemiologist on staff, but Augsburg is fortunate. One of the task force\u2019s principal leaders is Alicia Quella<\/b>, associate professor and director of Augsburg\u2019s physician assistant program<\/a>. As an educator with a PhD in epidemiology and experience in public health settings around the world, her expertise has proved invaluable for the university\u2019s grasp of the evolving global crisis and Augsburg\u2019s response to maintain the health and safety of community members.<\/p>\n

Between fielding student questions about the coronavirus, volunteering at COVID-19 testing sites, and ensuring the Augsburg community can trace contacts and reduce transmission on campus, Quella shared some perspectives on her work and where we go from here.<\/p>\n

Q: How have you been involved in Augsburg\u2019s outbreak planning and COVID-19 response?<\/b><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> I serve on the pandemic task force, a university-wide team of people that assembled after it was apparent that COVID-19 would significantly affect institutions of higher education across the United States. We collaborate regularly with epidemiologists from the Minnesota Department of Health to implement public health guidelines for campuses. We started to meet daily to coordinate issues involving classrooms and labs, athletics, residence halls, dining services, facilities, and global education. We started a COVID-19 Response Team, which comprises staff and faculty across campus who implement health protocols and support students and personnel who have illness, have COVID-19, or have been exposed to it.<\/p>\n

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Neither rain nor SNOW can keep @AugsburgU<\/a>‘s Dr. Alicia Quella from working the walk-up\/drive-up COVID-19 testing location @PeoplesCenter<\/a> Cedar Riverside Clinic pic.twitter.com\/DmvOZfbbQ0<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 R.John (@raccajohn) October 21, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n