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Research Program

The COVID-19 Initiative

COVID-19 has cost millions of lives worldwide, overwhelmed healthcare systems, devastated economies and changed society for years to come. The Schaeffer Center’s COVID Initiative is working to improve public health and get people back to work without fear of infection.

Program Leadership

  • Director, COVID Initiative, USC Schaeffer Center
    Vice Dean for Research, USC Price School of Public Policy
    Professor of Public Policy, USC Price School of Public Policy

Featured Research

Presentation

Shelter-in-Place Policies and Excess Mortality

Shelter-in-place policies were one of the most widely used policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Neeraj Sood presented his research on the impact of these policies on excess mortality for a NBER research spotlight webinar.

Featured Perspectives

Data Visualization

Rapid COVID Tests Used Twice Weekly Could Detect Most Contagious School-Aged Kids

While COVID-19 hospitalizations are down, a new Schaeffer Center white paper highlights the importance of investing in minimally invasive technologies that will allow hospitals to prepare for future surges.

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Ongoing Studies

Los Angeles COVID Response Innovations

USC Schaeffer Center and Keck School of Medicine of USC’s Department of Preventive Medicine are collaborating with the Office of Mayor Eric Garcetti and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health on a study to examine the use of coronavirus rapid antigen tests among first responders and school-aged children.
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Los Angeles Pandemic Surveillance Cohort Initiative

The study will follow as many as 3,000 county residents over time to better understand social inequities exposed by COVID-19 as well as other impacts of the pandemic.
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Program Team

Funding for the COVID Initiative has been provided by the USC Office of the President, USC Office of the Provost, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, Hilton Foundation, Jedel Family Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Office of Mayor Garcetti, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and various individual donors.