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
    Professor of Public Policy, USC Price School of Public Policy

Featured Research and Perspectives

More on COVID

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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The Peter G. Peterson Foundation Pandemic Response Policy Research Fund

Through the support of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the Schaeffer Center is launching the pandemic policy research fund to support research and engage in policy discussions that will impact our understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and prepare us for future pandemics.
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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.