Oct. 25 - Vaccination hydration, symptom check changes
Section 1
Slipped disc: Teams from several schools took over Anteater Recreation Center fields this past weekend for Huckfest, an annual, pre-Halloween intercollegiate ultimate Frisbee tournament hosted by UCI Men’s Ultimate. Photo by Ian Parker
ASK THE EXPERT
In this continuing series, UCI experts answer questions about COVID-19, vaccinations, variants and the future of work. Submit questions via email.
Today’s question is answered by Suellen Hopfer, assistant professor of health, society and behavior.
(Question comes via NPR)
Is it true that drinking a big glass of water an hour before getting your shot will make the vaccine more effective?
Staying hydrated in general is good for your health and organ function, but it does not have any effect on the immune system’s response to the vaccine. It may also be helpful to get a good night's rest and vaccinate in the morning when cortisol levels are higher.
UCI ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NEWS
From left are Black Studies Cluster students Cienna Benn, Konny Wade and Tariq Edwards. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI
Advancing the vibrant field of Black studies
As Black Lives Matter protests spread internationally last summer, faculty in the Culture and Theory Ph.D. and Visual Studies Ph.D. programs and the Departments of English and Comparative Literature launched the Black Studies Cluster. A multidisciplinary cohort of 11 incoming graduate students have committed to researching the vast and vibrant field of Black studies. The departments of History and Spanish & Portuguese recently joined the cluster’s efforts to increase the recruitment, support and retention of graduate students of color across the School of Humanities.
Daily symptom check changes begin Tuesday
Starting Oct. 26, the following changes will be applied to UCI’s daily symptom check-in email and app:
- The “Not Scheduled to Work On-Site” option will be removed because most employees have returned to some level of in-person work.
- The second question will now ask whether you or anyone you live with has tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 14 days. Previously, it only asked about persons living with you.
For questions about these changes, contact UCI's COVID Response Center at covid19@uci.edu or 949-824-9918, Monday through Friday, between 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
3 ways to spook up your monster mash
UCI Health has the tricks to treat your Halloween party guests to ghoulishly good and healthy eats. Just follow the simple recipes for Pumpkin Enchilada Graveyard, Pumpkin Spiced Mummy Bars and Red Lentil Pumpkin Soup with “Ghost” Seed Crackers.
UC NEWS AND GENERAL NEWS
Moderna says its vaccine is safe for ages 6 to 11
Today’s announcement comes a day before the FDA is scheduled to review data for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children 5 through 11. Moderna did not release the full data from its tests on children, nor were the results published in a peer-reviewed journal.
White House aims to boost rapid test supply
Because the delta surge has caused some manufacturers to struggle to meet the demand for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, federal officials say they will do more to get kits to consumers. The National Institutes of Health is allocating $70 million to help the FDA evaluate tests with the potential for large-scale manufacturing.
EVENTS
Data Disposal Day
Wednesday, 8 a.m. (sponsored by Information Security)
Preparing for a Faculty Career workshop
Wednesday, noon (sponsored by Graduate Division)
Disinformation in American Elections Part 1: Legal Scholars
Wednesday 12:15 p.m. (sponsored by UCI Law Fair Elections and Free Speech Center)
Visit today.uci.edu to see and submit event listings. Events of general interest will be shared in UCI Digest two days before they occur.
UCI IN THE NEWS
Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Orange County Register and The Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.
New York City Inches Toward COVID Becoming Endemic
The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 25
Cited: Andrew Noymer, associate professor of population health & disease prevention
Heavy rains in drought-stricken states could be dangerous
Popular Science, Oct. 24
Author: Amir AghaKouchak, professor of civil & environmental engineering and Earth system science
A remarkable shift in attitudes leaves U.S. even more divided on race
Los Angeles Times, Oct. 22
Cited: Michael Tesler, professor of political science and graduate admissions director
COVID-19 NOTIFICATION AND RESOURCES
2 new campus cases
Two students tested positive for COVID-19 from Friday through Sunday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.
Remember to upload your vaccine record
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.
For COVID-19 questions
UCI Forward - information on campus status and operational updates
UCI Health COVID-19 Updates - important information related to UCI Health
UCI Coronavirus Response Center - available at covid19@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-9918
Contact Tracing and Vaccine Navigation Services - assistance with vaccines and vaccine uploads; available at contacttracing@uci.edu or via phone at (949) 824-2300
Program in Public Health chatline - answers to questions about COVID-19
For questions specific to your personal health situation, please contact your doctor or healthcare provider.