We need your full cooperation to be successful in slowing the spread of the virus in our community.
 
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COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information

You may have seen that there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases, primarily among non-residential students. Please be reassured that this was a possibility that we anticipated and for which we prepared. To mitigate risks, we have expanded testing for students. We need your full cooperation to be successful in slowing the spread of the virus in our community.
  • Students who come to the Coral Gables or Marine campuses will be tested every two weeks for the remainder of the semester. This is mandatory, and students who do not comply will not be permitted to return to campus and may face disciplinary action. Our FAQs on student testing provide more information.
    • Residential students will be tested on campus starting this week. You should have received both email and text notifications with instructions on how to schedule a test.
    • Non-residential students need to order an easy-to-use home testing kit by Sept. 15 at 5 p.m., and your specimen must be shipped to LabCorp for processing this week. Details should have been sent to you via email.
  • On-campus faculty and staff will undergo random testing. Your participation is essential to tracking any potential community spread.
  • Faculty and staff currently working in person on the Coral Gables or Marine campuses who are concerned about potential exposure to the virus can contact the University’s COVID-19 hotline at 305-243-ONE-U to request testing; individuals on the Medical Campus should call 305-243-8378.
If you test positive, you will be notified quickly and required to isolate. Please cooperate with contact tracing.

For those of you celebrating Rosh Hashanah, we ask that you not travel for the holiday. Please take all of these necessary steps to ensure the stafety of your fellow ’Canes.

Please stay vigilant, stay safe, and stay healthy.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19

FLU VACCINE

Getting your flu shot this year is as important as ever. The addition of a flu epidemic to the COVID-19 pandemic could easily overwhelm the medical care system. Also, those who get the flu may be more susceptible to contracting and developing a severe case of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

It is for these reasons that we are mandating that all students, faculty, and staff get a flu vaccine. All applications for exemption must be submitted by Friday, Oct. 16, 2020.
  • Students: The compliance deadline is Nov. 16, 2020. Shots are available at Student Health Service by appointment only. This deadline applies to medical students as well.
  • Faculty and staff: The compliance deadline is Dec. 11, 2020. Shots are available at multiple locations by appointment only.
If you receive your vaccine off campus or from a non-UHealth provider, you must upload documentation. Information to do that can be found on the flu vaccine landing page.

Please note that if you are in isolation or quarantine, you must wait until you are cleared to get your flu vaccine.
 

FLORIDA “PHASE TWO” REOPENING REMINDERS

As part of the state’s Phase Two reopening plan, indoor dining at 50 percent capacity is allowed. Per Miami-Dade County’s orders, restaurants should have a maximum of six people at a table, and strict adherence to social distancing and the use of facial coverings when not eating or drinking. Also, while the state is allowing bars to re-open at 50 percent capacity, Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties are not.

While indoor dining may be allowed, it is important to consider the risks. According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control study, people who tested positive were twice as likely to have visited a restaurant in the two weeks prior. You can read more about the risk levels the CDC assigns to dining out.

Regardless, keeping a diary of restaurants and businesses you visit and who you are with at the time will aid in contact tracing efforts.
 

ELEVATOR ETIQUETTE

One place that is incredibly hard to maintain physical distancing is the elevator. However, there are some things you can do to help protect yourself and others:
  • Wear a mask
  • Announce your desired floor
  • Face forward
  • Don’t talk
  • Try not to sneeze or cough, but if you must, do so into your elbow and keep your mask on
  • Load in a checkerboard pattern to maximize spacing
Better yet—if you can, take the stairs.

VAPING IS DANGEROUS

Recent studies show that vaping—as well as smoking—dramatically increases your susceptibility to the COVID-19 virus as well as your risk of developing serious illness. The reasons for this are many—the vape in e-cigarettes directly damages lung and immune cells. There are other health risks to vaping, which you can find here.
 

GOOD NUTRITION HELPS BUILD YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Good nutrition is vital in keeping your immune system strong. For example, deficiencies in vitamins A, B6, C, D, and E, zinc, iron, selenium, and folic acid have all been shown to impact the immune response. Although the best way to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs is through food, you can add nutritional supplements that provide the recommended dietary allowances. Be aware that so-called “mega-dose” supplements that have many times the recommended dietary allowances are not advised.
We will share more health and wellness news in the next edition.

COVID-19 RESOURCES

Students, faculty, and staff on the Coral Gables and Marine campuses who are experiencing possible symptoms consistent with, or who have been potentially exposed to, COVID-19 should contact the University’s COVID-19 hotline at 305-243-ONE-U, where UHealth physicians and providers are available to answer your questions and provide telemedicine services if needed.

Members of the Medical Campus should contact 305-243-8378.

For additional University of Miami COVID-19 information and resources, visit coronavirus.miami.edu.

If you are in distress or need counseling services, the Counseling Center provides mental health services through HIPAA-compliant teleconferencing platforms. Counselors are certified and available to help any time by calling 305-284-5511. Additional resources are also available by visiting counseling.studentaffairs.miami.edu.
 
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