COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information |
Thankfully, vaccine availability from the state is increasing, though doses are limited.
For faculty and staff, if you have already “opted in” for a COVID-19 vaccine, you should receive an email invitation to schedule your vaccine by the end of this week. This applies to all University employees who opted in for the vaccine through Workday.
If you did not previously opt in but would like to do so now, please visit Workday to make your declaration and keep an eye on the email associated with your MyUHealthChart account. More details can be found here.
We have received a limited quantity of vaccines for distribution to University students, including remote learning and non-resident students, beginning Monday, April 12. If you are interested, you must opt in through CaneLink as soon as possible. More details on the process can be found here.
While we are excited to offer the vaccines to more members of our University community, it’s important to note that our supplies are limited and not all students who opt in are guaranteed to receive an appointment. We strongly encourage students interested in receiving a vaccine to also utilize community resources.
Students who are vaccinated are still required to be tested weekly. All vaccinated individuals must still follow the University’s safety measures, including wearing a mask, physically distancing, and washing their hands.
If you have had COVID recently and are out of isolation, there is no need to wait 90 days to get the vaccine. Schedule your vaccine appointment as soon as you receive the invitation to do so. Furthermore even if you are young you are encouraged to get the vaccine as we are seeing younger individuals being hospitalized with COVID-19 due to the variants.
The sooner we all get vaccinated, the fewer people will get seriously ill or die from the disease.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19 |
TRAVELING WHEN FULLY VACCINATEDOutside of protecting you from severe COVID-19 related illness, getting us closer to herd immunity, and helping to stem the spread of new variants, getting vaccinated makes activities like traveling much more like it was pre-pandemic. Last week, the CDC published guidelines on travel, which states that fully vaccinated people can travel domestically without a post-travel test.
Please note that fully vaccinated means two weeks after your second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The University’s updated travel guidelines can be found here.
TAMING THE VIRUS In human hosts, viruses tend to become more aggressive via mutations when it becomes easier to infect humans. The SARS-CoV-2 we confront today is not the same as the one we started the pandemic with and is probably different from the one we will meet in the future.
So, even as we vaccinate more people, the virus will adapt if it has new hosts to infect. That is why additional public health measures like distancing, quarantining, mask-wearing, and handwashing are all so essential to tame threatening viruses.
We want to especially encourage our younger population to get vaccinated. If you become infected you have the potential to spread the variant strains of the virus to the more vulnerable.
MORE YOUNGER ADULTS ARE GETTING SICKER This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the head of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, expressed concern about trends they see in younger adults. On Wednesday, Dr. Walensky said that “Hospitals are seeing more and more younger adults, those in their 30s and 40s, admitted with severe disease.” At the same time, the B.1.1.7 variant is now the predominant strain in the United States.
Are the two directly correlated? This is not yet known. What is known is that the younger people are, the less likely they are to have been vaccinated, and the new variants appear to spread faster and make people sicker.
The good news is that in Florida, all residents age 16 or older are eligible to be vaccinated, and the University has expanded vaccine opt-in to all employees and students.
END-OF-YEAR CELEBRATIONS The end of the spring semester is upon us, and with that comes a new group of graduates who understandably want to celebrate achieving this meaningful goal. This year, these celebrations will still be necessarily affected by COVID-19 safety measures. The University’s spring commencement ceremonies will all take place outside, masks will be required, and seating will be appropriately spaced to allow for physical distancing. For more information, visit the commencement and
venue websites.
GARDENING FOR YOUR MIND AND BODY Interacting with nature has been shown to have positive effects on both mental and physical well-being. In fact, researchers at the Miller School of Medicine have published studies linking green space to decreased stroke risk and lower incidences of depression. And, gardening itself can be a welcome distraction from the stress caused by work and school.
You can take advantage of several gardens on campus, including the Miller Herb and Food Garden, the Arboretum Sustainability Garden, and the Miller Butterfly Garden. You can even sign up to help these gardens grow by visiting the Green U website.
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We will share more health and wellness news in the next edition. |
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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 a student 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.
If you are a faculty or staff members in need of support visit fsap.miami.edu. |
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