COVID-19 Health and Wellness Information |
Public health communication is as complicated as the human psyche. Doing so in a rapidly changing pandemic certainly does not help. Medical research is ever-changing and sometimes can seem inconsistent. As we take in new data, we adapt. For instance, we used to recommend low-dose aspirin for heart health, and now we don’t—except in certain situations.
With COVID-19, we are watching science in real-time. And, now everyone has access to evolving scientific research that can be shared at the push of a button. For example, in the first four months of the pandemic, 19,389 articles about COVID-19 were shared online, and a third were preprints and not peer-reviewed for accuracy by the scientific community. One of those preprints, which suggested that the medicine Ivermectin reduced COVID-19 severity, was widely circulated before proven incorrect. And although that study is no longer available online, Ivermectin is still a huge topic of harmful misinformation.
I say all this to emphasize the importance of getting and sharing information from reputable sources like the CDC, your physician, the University’s COVID-19 website, or these newsletters. And understand that sometimes that information may change, based on new facts being discovered.
If you ever have questions, please reach out and ask. I will answer them to the best of my abilities and with the latest scientific data.
Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Medicine
Chair, Department of Medicine
Chief Medical Officer for COVID-19 |
MASK GUIDANCEThe new mask guidance from the CDC is an excellent example of how COVID-19 recommendations evolve as the virus mutates and as we learn more about the disease. This is why the CDC has clarified their guidance to state, “Loosely woven cloth products provide the least protection, layered finely woven products offer more protection....” The University is providing surgical masks to faculty, staff, students, and patients, which provide more protection. While N95s are primarily used by our health care providers. You can find more information about this change and detailed instructions on how to wear masks properly on the
CDC website.
FREE AT-HOME TESTSThis week the federal government launched a program that provides every household with four free at-home COVID-19 tests. You can sign up to get yours at this website: https://www.covidtests.gov/
Remember, if you take an at-home test because you feel unwell and it is negative, we still recommend that you stay home until your symptoms abate. Also, report any positives to our hotline, 305-243-ONE-U, and they will instruct you as to what you should do next.
CLOSE CONTACTSAnother thing you should do if you test positive is notify all of your close contacts. A close contact is anyone who was less than 6 feet away from you for a combined total of 15 minutes or more over 24 hours. Often this may be people other than family, friends, or coworkers. The CDC recommends making a list of people you encountered “during the two days before you first had symptoms OR if you do not have symptoms, two days before you were tested for COVID-19, through to the time you started isolation.” Consider if you have had doctor’s appointments or had repairs done in your home or if you have been to a hair or nail salon. This, of course, may be awkward, but it is essential to warn people who are at risk. The CDC offers
guidance on how to start the conversation.
DON’T GIVE UP HOPE It may seem like this pandemic will never end. I tell my patients, family, and friends never to give up hope. The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein said that his aim was “to show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle.” We have all seen a fly trapped in a bottle. It frantically searches for a way out. Banging its head against the glass until it gets so exhausted it dies. Yet the bottle was open all the time. The one thing the fly forgets is to look up. So, sometimes, do we. Take a deep breath. While we may feel trapped, we have the tools we need to fly out of the bottle. We just need to keep using them. Mask up, keep up-to-date with your vaccines, be kind, and stay safe. |
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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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