April 1 - Updates on COVID-19

Beep beep! A roadrunner explores the UCI Ecological Preserve, sans Wile E. Coyote. Photo by Ian Parker

TODAY'S CAMPUS UPDATES

New campus case*

One student resident and no on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. This week, the number of active campus cases has climbed from one on Sunday to four yesterday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

The post-pandemic classroom: reading, writing, recovery

As K-12 students return to schools, the fallout from COVID lockdowns – including learning loss, achievement gaps and compromised social development, emotional well-being and physical health – will be all too evident, a UCI education professor predicts.

GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS

This section curates noteworthy coronavirus news, trends and opinions. No endorsement by UCI is implied. Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and OC Register for students, faculty and staff.

How to persuade the vaccine hesitant

Experts on the frontlines — global vaccine scholars, physicians tackling low vaccination rates among Blacks, and multilingual doctors spreading the word — discuss how to handle such conversations. Their suggestions may surprise you.

‘Mom is really different’: Nursing homes reopen to joy and grief

Many families are noticing the withering effects of long-term isolation on their elders. “A year lost is a big loss,” one expert says.

Air travel rises to U.S. vacation spots

With millions of Americans getting vaccinated each day, vacation-destination airports are thriving as more states ease lockdown restrictions.

Six months after vaccination, Pfizer shot still 91% effective

The findings in a newly released study indicate that protection from COVID could last for an even longer period.

Why second-dose side effects are more intense

With the first dose, your immune system learns to recognize the spike protein that causes COVID. With dose No. 2, your immune memory cells launch a counterattack and release antibodies. “A lot of [the side effects] are COVID symptoms, but the difference is there are no respiratory symptoms,” one expert says. “With the vaccine, you’re not coughing, you don’t have a runny nose, you don’t lose your sense of taste or smell.”

HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER

Amid the heartbreaking loss of life and economic hardship wrought by the coronavirus, we recognize the need for stories of kindness, hope, courage and humor.

‘Boomers Got the Vax’

In this “Saturday Night Live” send-up, baby boomers celebrate their early access to the vaccines.

#UCIconnected

Animals in my classroom

Brianna Eckhaus, left, in full PPE gear with her cat Tigger; Denise Larsson with her bird Peep.

After describing assorted pet antics during Zoom classes and staff meetings, Marcy Froehlich, associate professor of costume design in the Department of Drama, surrenders: “I try to run an organized class, an organized meeting. But these creatures have been plotting to overthrow the well-oiled machine. I finally submit...and admit I will sorely miss our furry feathered friends when we return to teaching in person again.”

If you have a shoutout, or if you’d like to share what you’ve been up to during the pandemic, send photos and/or words about your activities, workstation, volunteering, etc., to marketing@uci.edu or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION

* Potential workplace exposure: UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.