Monday, November 9, 2020

What is convalescent plasma?

In this video, Dr. Michael Knudson, medical co-director of the DeGowin Blood Center, explains convalescent plasma treatments for patients with an active COVID-19 infection.

Mental health virtual panel discussions

Coping in the time of COVID-19 is an uncharted, life-changing task for everyone, and it can make caring for our own mental health and the mental health of those around us a challenge.

To support you during this difficult time, the University of Iowa will host two mental health panel discussions TOMORROW (Tuesday, Nov. 10).

For students: "Managing the Undergraduate World,” noon to 1 p.m. CST

Topics will include: How to be a first-year student during COVID-19, staying focused in an academic online world, managing multiple roles, navigating emotional closeness and distance, managing your freedom while living at home, and COVID-19 and social justice.

For parents, guardians, and family members: “Coping as a UI Parent, Guardian, or Family Member," 1 to 2 p.m. CST

Topics will include: Managing your student’s freedom while under your roof, managing multiple family roles, sustaining mental well-being at home, managing multiple losses, recognizing and managing distress from a distance, and COVID-19 and social justice.

For links to join these panel discussions, see mentalhealth.uiowa.edu/recovery/virtual-panel-discussions/

For more information about mental health resources, see mentalhealth.uiowa.edu.

For counseling and support, the Employee Assistance Program offers confidential counseling at no cost for UI employees and their families; or University Counseling Service offers confidential counseling and support for students.

Campus operations

The university continues to monitor self-reported COVID-19 testing data on campus, while also tracking state, region, and national COVID-19 infection rates. As the number of cases increase across the state, we are seeing a corresponding increase in the number of positive cases among students on campus. While data and contact tracing continue to show that the spread of the disease is not occurring in UI classrooms, our campus must remain dedicated to the practices that help to reduce transmission: wearing masks, maintaining social distance, avoiding large gatherings, and frequent hand washing. If necessary, the university will consider additional actions in coordination with Johnson County Public Health, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

Seven-day rolling average chart for self-reported UI data

University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing

These data reflect new cases since Nov. 6, 2020.

The University of Iowa has published an updated snapshot of self-reported positive COVID-19 tests from faculty, staff, and students.

Number of self-reported cases of COVID-19

Students

  • New cases: 78
  • Semester-to-date: 2,351

Employees

  • New cases: 19
  • Semester-to-date: 156

These numbers reflect only self-reported positive or presumed positive COVID-19 tests from UI faculty, staff, and students on the academic campus since Aug. 18, 2020. These data will not match data reported by UI Hospitals & Clinics or by the Iowa Department of Public Health for several reasons, including different testing time intervals and geographic scope. Students who also are employees of the university are only reported in the student number to avoid double counting. The UI has more than 30,000 students and nearly 30,000 employees. Many employees continue to work remotely but have self-reported to authorize sick leave.

Number of residence hall students in quarantine: 4*

Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 10**

*Quarantine: Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others.

**Self-isolation: Isolation is used to separate people infected with the virus (those who are symptomatic and those with no symptoms) from people who are not infected.