April 27 - Updates on COVID-19

UCI UPDATES

Positive COVID-19 case

A student has tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. It has been more than a month since the student was participating in campus activities. The student is recovering in isolation and everyone who was in contact with this individual has been notified and are practicing appropriate isolation procedures.

UCI Forum Series – Where we are and what to expect next

UCI is hosting a three-part series starting today called the UCI Forum. The first in the series is an informative discussion by leading UCI health and medical experts about navigating the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman will provide an opening message and Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs, Dr. Steve Goldstein, will serve as moderator for the panel. You will hear from:

Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala, Program in Public Health
Chad Lefteris, CEO of UCI Health
Dean Michael Stamos, School of Medicine
Dr. Susan Huang, professor of infectious diseases
Dr. Shaista Malik, associate vice chancellor for integrative health
Dr. Andrew Noymer, associate professor of population health & disease prevention

The forum series continues on Wednesday and Friday with public policy and business, respectively.

Submit a ‘thank you video’ for UCI essential staff

Staff Assembly is compiling thank you videos to create a staff appreciation video for the essential staff working on campus and at the medical center. Please send your short videos in horizontal format to Nancy Palmer at nnherre1@uci.edu by May 1st.

Universal masking

Effective immediately, every person entering a UCI Health facility, including health care personnel, patients and visitors, must wear a mask at all times for source control, regardless of symptoms. This includes masking while outdoors on any UCI Health site.

Video update from UCI Health

UCI Health CEO Chad T. Lefteris shares a video message with the latest updates from UCI Health.

COVID-19 Related Phishing and Scams

Opportunistic cybercriminals are targeting individuals and organizations with COVID-19 related attacks in the form of malicious “phishing” emails, SMS texts, phone apps and websites. In many cases, the attacker’s goal is to get you to click on a link, open an attachment, or install an app that will infect your device with malware in order to steal and/or destroy data. In other cases, they will try to get you to divulge personal or financial information. Please look out for common red flags and forward any suspicious emails that you want checked to OIT Security at atspam@uci.edu.

Face coverings for essential workers

In order to assist campus departments in providing face coverings to essential workers, EH&S will be scheduling PPE/cotton face covering pick up services on the dates listed below. Once you receive an email confirmation, please go to EH&S to pick up the face coverings. When picking up the supplies, please adhere to appropriate social distancing practices.

Dates: April 27 - May 1, from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

How: Have your supervisor email a request with the department name and number of employees to safety@uci.edu. EH&S will respond with a pick up day and time for the request.

Where: Environmental Health & Safety Department (4600 Health Sciences Road - Building 41 on the campus map)

Note: Student Affairs will be distributing face coverings to students. EH&S pick-ups are for Campus essential employees only.

UCI Face Mask Project awarded funding

The UCI Mask Team received a grant from the UCI Clinical Research Acceleration and Facilitation Team (CRAFT)-COVID Committee to continue their research on effective mask designs. The grant will allow the team to continue their work to improve face masks, including filtration performance as well as designs that perform well using easily sourced, off-the-shelf materials.

Respond to 2020 Census even if you are displaced because of COVID-19

Wondering which location you should fill out on your census form if you were displaced by COVID-19? The U.S. Census Bureau wants you to complete the form with where you were supposed to be living on April 1. College students who live off campus but have left their college or university because of COVID-19 should respond online using the address of their college/university community (not their parent or family address). You can now respond to the Census online at my2020census.gov. If you stayed in or left on-campus housing, UCI will be submitting a ‘group enumeration’ response for you – so no action is needed on your part! For more information please visit advocacy.uci.edu/census/.

Economic impact of COVID-19 on students’ education and job prospects

The UCI Center for Population, Inequality and Policy presents a webinar on the economic impact of COVID-19 on students. The event takes place Wednesday, May 6, at 6 p.m. Registration is required.

Undergraduate Research Symposium postponed

The 2020 UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium has been postponed and will be rescheduled for early fall. To participate, complete the Presentation & Abstract Submission Form. The deadline to submit an application will be announced soon.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND STORIES

Caring for a loved one with dementia during COVID-19

California’s stay-at-home order has been especially tough for one caregiver population: Family members caring for someone who has dementia. Because of the novel coronavirus, adult daycare centers are closed temporarily and home services have been put on hold, cutting off critical support systems for this group. Here are a few tips for anyone now caring for a family member with dementia.

COMMUNITY UPDATES & NEWS

Director-General of the WHO Says Pandemic is Far From Over

According to the World Health Organization Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “the pandemic is far from over.” His concern comes from the increasing trends of cases in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries. Many of these countries in these regions have low testing capacity.

US Nears 1 Million Coronavirus Cases

The US is nearing 1 million cases of COVID-19 across the nation. So far, there have been over 54,800 deaths.

CDC Adds Six New COVID-19 Symptoms

Over the weekend, the CDC added six new coronavirus symptoms to its list. The new symptoms include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and a loss of taste or smell.

There cannot be college sports played if campuses are not open

If university leaders do not deem it safe for students to return to classrooms and dorms, locker rooms and practice fields will also remain closed.

As states reopen, business leaders say ‘not so fast’

The New York Times interviewed roughly 30 major employers including BCG, Gap, McDonald’s and Home Depot about states reopening, with many saying it’s too soon to return to the office. Business Roundtable CEO Josh Bolten said, “As keen as companies are to reopen, they are quick to say that if their employees don’t feel safe, they are not going to come back in to work. And if customers don’t feel safe, they’re not going to come back into stores.”

FDA authorizes first test for patient-at-home sample collection

During the April 24 White House Press Briefing, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn announced that the FDA had approved the first COVID-19 home collection test kit.

Apple and Google help track coronavirus exposure

Apple and Google announced new updates to their proposed system that will enable iOS and Android phones to trace the spread of COVID-19. The updated system includes security and privacy enhancements that representatives from governments and public health authorities have asked for, the companies said.

8 in 10 Americans support COVID-19 shut down

A Kaiser Health Poll results that find 8 in 10 Americans say “strict shelter-in-place guidelines are worth it.” When asked how long they believe they can follow shelter-in-place guidelines, one-third said they could last one-to-three months; another third said they could last longer than six months. 14% said they couldn’t follow the guidelines longer than one month.

President signs another coronavirus aid bill

President Trump has signed the fourth coronavirus relief bill into law. The bill provides additional funding for small business loans, hospitals, and COVID-19 testing.

Governor Newsom provides flexibility to Medi-cal providers

Governor Newsom has signed an executive order to temporarily suspend requirements for in-person signatures for people to obtain some prescription drugs covered under Medi-Cal. The order also gives healthcare providers a 90-day extension on cost reporting, change in scope of service, and administrative hearings.

Governor Newsom offers additional relief

Governor Newsom has announced that most private student loan servicers have agreed to provide payment and relief to borrowers. Newsom has also signed an executive order to stop debt collectors from taking COVID-19 related financial assistance.

OC Fair canceled over COVID-19 concerns

The OC Fair and Event Center’s board of directors voted Monday, April 27, to cancel this year’s fair, but may offer some of the fair’s traditional entertainment and competitions online.

People Crowded Southern California Beaches Over the Weekend

As a heatwave hit Southern California this weekend, thousands headed to open beaches. While the beaches in LA County and San Diego County were closed, Orange County and Ventura County remained open. Due to the volume of visitors, Newport City Officials are now considering closing its beaches on the weekends.