COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information |
This week the FDA recommended that a third shot—a booster—be available to people 65 and older and to adults aged 18 to 64 who have an underlying condition that puts them at risk of severe COVID-19 illness if it has been more than six months since they had their second Pfizer innoculation. However, their recommendations do not include those who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.
If you believe that you fall into these categories, please discuss this with your physician. Also, booster shots will not be available on campus but there are plenty of locations in the surrounding community that will offer them.
I know that many are impatient about booster shots and are frustrated by the cumbersome recommendation process. However, please remember that it is exactly this careful process that keeps all of us safe.
Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about COVID-19 and vaccines.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19 |
COVID-19 VACCINES WORKEven as the FDA and CDC are analysing data to provide informed recommendations about booster shots, it’s important to acknowledge that these vaccines work extremely well and are very safe. Newly released information continues to show their effectiveness at protecting against severe illness and death due to COVID-19.
For instance, one study of 13 jurisdictions in the United States showed that vaccinated individuals had five times reduced risk of infection, and 10 times reduced risk of hospitalization and death.
This is scientific evidence that the vaccines are doing their job and are effective at protecting recipients from severe illness from the coronavirus, including the delta variant.
CHILDREN’S IMMUNE SYSTEMS Back in the pre-delta days at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, many were perplexed by how uncommon it was for children to get ill with the virus. After all, most know how school-aged children like to spread germs. Since then, researchers have been studying this anomaly closely and have found that it may have to do with the differences in your body’s two immune responses.
The innate immune response acts swiftly but is not specific to the pathogen, where as the adaptive immune response is slower but its attack is specific to the pathogen. After the innate immune system attacks, it presents antigens that hold information on the specific pathogen to the adaptive immune system. The adaptive immune system then develops antibodies based on this information to target that pathogen.
The hypothesis is that children have less experienced immune systems and therefore have a more robust innate immune response. Whereas, adults have had years of combatting similar coronaviruses and thus may have a weaker innate response which allows SARS-CoV-2 to take hold within the body and develop into a more full-blown COVID-19 illness. Like most things COVID, we have much more to learn and scientists are actively studying the differences in children and adults.
EMERGENCY ROOM OR URGENT CARE? Currently, COVID-19 cases are placing a strain on emergency rooms and hospitals. So, as a reminder, when you are ill or have been injured and need to be seen within 24 hours but it is not an emergency, urgent care clinics are a good alternative to the ER. For example, minor burns, ear infections, sinus infrections, sprains, and strains can all be treated at any of the Walgreens UHealth Clinics. Depending on the illness, a virtual visit may be more convenient.
However, if you are experiencing any of the following, seek care immediately by calling 911 or going to the closest ER:
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Heart attack/chest pain
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Trouble breathing
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Stroke/inability to move/sudden paralysis
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Loss of consciousness
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Bleeding that can’t be stopped
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Large wounds
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Head injuries
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Severe burns
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Poisoning
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Seizures
NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPESIt has been 18 months since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and healthcare workers are still taking care of seriously ill patients and combatting the spread of misinformation. This includes nurses, sanitary workers, doctors, medical technicians, researchers, and others who are on the front lines of fighting this horrible disease.
If you have one of these dedicated professionals in your life, take a moment to thank and honor them. Remember, they have families at home that they are trying to keep safe, just as we all are trying to do.
THE BEAUTY OF ART In past newsletters, I have touched on the topic of the healing properties of creativity. But, did you know that just viewing art can also have positive effects on your mental health?
When you look at art, your brain is exploring different avenues, trying to interpret it. The more time you spend looking at a beautiful painting, the more the neurons in your brain try to place you within the piece of art. This response is called embodied cognition. Also, according to studies, viewing art can trigger increases in dopamine, the feel-good brain chemical.
This is nothing new, in fact Maimonides, the physician and philosopher born in 1138 stated, “If one is afflicted with melancholy, he should cure it by listening to songs and various kinds of melodies, by walking in gardens and fine buildings, by sitting before beautiful forms, and by things like this which delight the soul and make the disturbance of melancholy disappear from it. In all this he should aim at making his body healthy, the goal of his body’s health being that he attain knowledge.”
So, this weekend, take some time to appreciate art at the newly re-opened Lowe Art Museum. |
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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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