Vaccine update

In this video, Dr. Dan Fick, University of Iowa campus health officer, answers frequently asked questions about vaccine distribution, vaccine safety, and how to know when it’s your turn to receive one. See the vaccine page of the UI’s coronavirus website for the latest information for general campus.

Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (CARES Act) update

The University of Iowa will receive $24,985,012 in federal aid following approval of the second stimulus package in December. The U.S. Department of Education has allocated the following:

• $8,085,677 for student aid, and
• $16,899,335 for institutional support.

The university is currently reviewing the guidelines for distributing the funds and will share more information about the application process for receiving student aid when available.

In the spring, the university received $16,171,354 in federal funding allocated evenly between student aid and institutional support. The UI’s Office of Financial Aid distributed $8.086 million to about 4,700 eligible students experiencing financial difficulties related to COVID-19. The institutional portion was used to cover losses associated with cancelling study abroad; closing the residence halls, Recreational Services, and the Iowa Memorial Union; and covering technology improvements necessary for virtual instruction.

Mental health resources: Stress

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a major effect on our lives. Even though the vaccine provides us with a renewed sense of hope, we may continue to find ourselves struggling with feeling stressed and overwhelmed. Learning to cope with stress in healthy ways hopefully will help you, the people you care about, and those around you feel more resilience. It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please know that there are resources to help you cope.

A few helpful strategies for managing stress include:

• Stay connected and maintain your social networks. Even in situations of isolation, try as much as possible to keep your personal daily routines and nurture your relationships. If health authorities have recommended limiting your physical social contact to contain the outbreak, you can stay connected via email, social media, video conference, and telephone.
• During times of stress, pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Engage in healthy activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Exercise regularly, keep regular sleep routines, and eat healthy food. Remind yourself to hold on to perspective as best you can.
• A near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause anyone to feel anxious or distressed. Seek information updates and practical guidance from health professionals at specific times during the day and avoid listening to or following rumors that can leave you feeling uncomfortable.

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. The university will continue to follow the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in coordination with Johnson County Public Health, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing

These data reflect new cases since Jan. 25, 2021.

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: 8
• Total cases: 2,905

Employees

• New cases: 3
• Total cases: 407

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: 1*

Number of residence hall students in self-isolation: 0**

*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.