June 5 - Updates on COVID-19
Section 1
UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND STORIES
Blood will tell
Just a little pinprick. For Phil Felgner, director of the Vaccine R&D Center in the UCI School of Medicine’s Institute for Immunology, that’s the key to learning more about how humans respond to the COVID-19 virus, as well as to gaining more insight into a possible vaccine and to understanding how social distancing and other protective measures are working. Beginning the week of May 18, Felgner and researchers in his lab began taking blood samples from UCI Medical Center employees who consented to having their fingers jabbed to see if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19.
Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing student honored for COVID-19 education
When the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) contacted Norma Hernandez-Ramirez about doing an interview, she stepped up to be a part of the solutionand provide answers to a nervous public in her role as an emergency room nurse. That interview was with the national Spanish-language television network Univision. Hernandez-Ramirez spoke directly to her experience as an emergency room nurse working on the front lines of a global crisis. She’s also a student in the Doctor of Nursing Practice with Family Nurse Practitioner Concentration (DNP-FNP) program at the UCI Sue & Bill Gross School of Nursing.
UCI Podcast: Where we stand on COVID-19
In this special edition of the UCI Podcast, infectious disease experts Drs. Ming Tan and Saahir Khan of the UCI School of Medicine examine the past, present and future of global pandemics, and where we stand as the global community works to solve the coronavirus riddle and the deadly COVID-19 disease it causes.
UCI COVID-19 VIRTUAL EVENTS
Mental health during the pandemic
UCI’s Dr. Yujuan Choy, a Counseling Center Psychiatrist, was invited by Rep. Porter to participate in a town hall on Facebook live. The focus was on addressing mental health during the time of COVID.
UC UPDATES
UC Announces Changes to Benefit Programs for COVID-19 Pandemic Relief
UC recently announced changes to UC’s benefits rules designed to provide relief to faculty and staff affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. These changes give faculty and staff greater flexibility in withdrawing or borrowing money from their Retirement Savings Program plans and in making changes to their benefits.
University of California campuses ranked among the best in the nation
The 2020 rankings were published in late May by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a global higher education research company based in the United Kingdom that specializes in the analysis of higher education institutions around the world. The new ranking evaluated 302 research universities in 49 states, marking the company’s first listing of America’s top four-year colleges.
Thank you to those lending hearts and minds to California’s recovery
As the world continues to confront the global pandemic, the University of California community has stepped up like never before, drawing on the spirit of ingenuity and service that defines us. From hospitals and labs to neighborhoods across California, UC staff, faculty, alumni and students are putting their creativity and compassion to work to help their neighbors and save lives. Here are a few of their inspiring stories.
What to know about being your own boss
Traditional careers in office high rises with 9-to-5 hours don’t work for everyone. In fact, in these turbulent times you might find yourself dreaming about being your own boss, rather than being beholden to someone else for your career success. That sentiment has spurred a big rise over the last decade in the so-called “gig economy” — people who by either need or preference have decided to work for themselves. The gig economy is bigger than you think, according to a recent panel discussion on the topic with the UC Alumni Career network.
COMMUNITY UPDATES & NEWS
Five coronavirus vaccine candidates selected as finalists
The Trump Administration has selected five companies as the most likely candidates to produce a vaccine for COVID-19. The five companies are Moderna, Oxford University and AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Pfizer.
The head of the C.D.C. says the country needs up to 100,000 contact tracers
CDC Director Dr. Redfield told house lawmakers that the country needs up to 100,000 contact tracers to facilitate comprehensive contact tracing for “every single case, every single cluster…within 24 to 36 hours, 48 hours at the latest.”
Pediatricians say kids should be in school despite coronavirus risk
The Southern California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, issued a statement pointing to research suggesting that the risks of COVID-19 transmission among children are lower than for adults, but that keeping children away from in-person instruction for longer will have negative consequences.
Survey of high school students says COVID-19 changes higher education plans
The economic uncertainty of COVID-19 is altering the future of higher education for a swath of high school students across the country: 55% of seniors, juniors and sophomores across the country say the pandemic will impact the rest of their lives. College Savings Foundation’s (CSF) survey of over 1,000 sophomores, juniors and seniors has found that at least a third of them will change both their plans for higher education and how they will finance it.
California coronavirus cases surpasses 120,000
Yesterday, California coronavirus cases surpassed 120,000 and the death toll reached more than 4,400. Health officials still worry about the spread of coronavirus at protests and the closing of testing sites due to protests.
U.S. unemployment rate fell to 13.3%
Even with many Americans losing their jobs during the pandemic, the U.S. economy also gained 2.5 million jobs in May. The unemployment rate declined to 13.3%. The gradual reopening of the economy added new jobs rather than eliminating more positions.
NBA approves 22-team format to finish season
The NBA board of governors voted to approve a 22-team format to finish this year’s season. The season will restart on July 31 in Orlando, Florida.
Long-term care facilities are a major driver of COVID-19 deaths
According to a new report, in 26 states 50% or more of their COVID-19 deaths occurred in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes or group homes.
CDC now projects more than 127,000 U.S. deaths by June 27
In a new forecast published by the CDC, more than 127,000 coronavirus deaths are expected in the U.S. by June 27.
UCI IN THE NEWS - COVID-19 Article List
Newsweek, June 4, 2020 (Opinion)
Pandemic constitutional rights: Not an all-or-nothing proposition | Opinion
The Huffington Post, June 4, 2020
COVID-19’s economic fallout is hitting the Black community hard, too
Daily Pilot, June 4, 2020
Local medical and nursing school graduates prepare to enter the front lines during the pandemic
Nature, June 4, 2020
How to beat isolation? Academic feedback groups fit the bill, and promote growth as scholars and humans
Literary Hub, June 5, 2020
Letter from Los Angeles: On a generational uprising
CTV News, June 5, 2020
New normal: Is COVID-19 killing cash?
Patch, June 4, 2020
7 die of coronavirus in Orange County, Thursday
MORE INFORMATION
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UCI Coronavirus Information Hub - more information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health