COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information |
I hope everyone has had a good summer. We still have more of these very warm months ahead in South Florida.
Even just a month ago, I thought that this month’s newsletter would be different. Like many of you, I hoped that this fall would look more like pre-COVID-19 years. But, with the Delta variant, that is not the case.
However, in looking back at the first COVID-19 Health and Wellness Newsletter, I was reminded that we have so many more tools than we did a year ago, and we also know what will work to keep each other safe.
The Delta variant is not the same virus we dealt with last year; it is far more transmissible. With the original strain, an infected person generally infected three other people. With Delta, one person infects seven others on average. In addition, vaccinated people can now transmit the virus to others without realizing it, and the number of unvaccinated individuals remains a reservoir for these viruses to replicate and mutate. This is why the number of infections has grown so much in just one month.
The good news is we know how to contain it, and we have the tools to do it. Vaccination is our primary prevention; testing is our second. We also have to stick to the basics—wear masks, avoid crowded spaces, wash your hands, and stay home if you don’t feel well.
It might feel like we’re pedaling up yet another big hill, but if we can get more people vaccinated and practice these safety measures, we can hopefully start to coast down. This is not the time to take our eyes off the road.
Be safe, stay well, and protect each other. If you have any questions, I am here to answer them.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19 |
UPDATED GUIDELINESAs students begin to return to campus, here is an overview of the updated guidelines:
Vaccination: Vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly encouraged for students. Vaccination is required for all University of Miami faculty and staff on all campuses, unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption. Anyone who is not fully vaccinated or who has not provided proof of vaccination will be required to participate in COVID-19 testing at least once per week. Students can upload vaccination documentation to MyUHealthChart and employees should submit their verification to Workday.
Testing: Students who live on campus will be required to test at an on-campus testing site within 24 hours of move-in, regardless of vaccination status. Any student who is not vaccinated or who has not provided proof of vaccination will be required to participate in COVID-19 testing at least once per week.
Masking: Consistent with CDC guidelines, face covers will be required in all indoor public spaces where two or more people are present, including classrooms, regardless of vaccination status. Outdoor masking is strongly encouraged when congregating in large groups. We will revisit these requirements as more members of our community get vaccinated and the pandemic evolves.
Quarantine/isolation: Students who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to quarantine/isolate based on University guidelines. Additional information on quarantine and isolation for residential students can be found here.
VACCINATED VS. UNVACCINATED Many people may be asking, “Why should I get vaccinated if I have to wear a mask and might still get infected?” Here is the reason. Even if you are infected with the Delta variant, the chance that you get severely ill or die is drastically lowered if you have been vaccinated. Just look at the hospitalization rates—according to the CDC, from January through May 2021, of the more than 32,000 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in adults, less than three percent of hospitalizations occurred in fully vaccinated persons.
PROTECTING THOSE MOST VULNERABLEJust as we wear masks to protect each other, we also get vaccinated for the same reason. We do so to protect those among us who can’t yet get vaccinated, like children or those who are immunocompromised. But, unfortunately, we see the risks to these populations. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, from July 22 to Aug. 15, almost 94,000 children tested positive for COVID and represented 15% of the reported cases for that week. And, while it is true that severe illness and death is uncommon in children, the rate of long COVID in kids is still being studied.
ON-CAMPUS VACCINATIONSThe University of Miami has teamed up with Walgreens to administer vaccines for University students, faculty, and staff on campus at the StormSurge Room at the Hurricane Food Court Aug. 17-20 and Aug. 23-26, 1-5 p.m. All vaccines will be available—Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson.
THE IMAGE OF OUR TIMESOften historical events have visuals that come to everyone’s minds when discussed. For instance, the plague had images of the plague doctor, and World War II had Rosie the Riveter’s image. Likewise, the COVID-19 pandemic has the iconic image of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with those spike proteins ever-present. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
, no other microbiological idea has become so popular so fast. The image was created by an artist at the CDC just six days after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, and it is still with us 18 months later and likely will always be emblematic of this historic time.
WE NEED EACH OTHER
There is a moving story about one of the competitors in the Invictus Games. For those who don’t know, the Invictus Games are international sporting events for injured, sick, or wounded servicewomen and men. The games use the power of sport to inspire recovery. This competitor was a former mine specialist in the British Royal Navy who had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder. He was playing a match of wheelchair doubles tennis when he heard the sound of a helicopter overhead, and, traumatized, he froze. Immediately, his teammate went over to him, held him, spoke to him, and got him to sing the song "Let It Go," from the movie "Frozen." And slowly he unfroze and together they went on to win the match. While we cannot hug each other physically during the
pandemic, we need to support each other. Words of encouragement, a good song, a good gesture can make a difference in how we cope with the stresses of the time.
If you find that your anxiety is affecting your daily life and you need to speak with someone, there are resources faculty and staff can utilize. In addition, students can find help at the Student Affairs Counseling Center. |
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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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