Monday, February 1, 2021

Vaccine update

In this video, Suresh Gunasekaran, chief executive officer of University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, discusses preparations to begin vaccinating Iowans in Phase 1B. Eligible patients will be contacted directly by UI Health Care staff through the electronic health record system, MyChart, or by phone when an appointment is available. All vaccinations will be pre-scheduled and are by appointment only.

Those not yet eligible may register their interest in receiving the vaccine by completing a form in MyChart. This does not confirm a vaccination appointment, but signals your desire to be vaccinated once you are eligible and doses are available.

Please avoid calling to keep phone lines open for those needing patient care appointments. The best way to stay informed is to visit uihc.org.

The University of Iowa continues to successfully vaccinate faculty, staff, and students in Phase 1A who provide clinical patient care and are therefore vulnerable to high risk of exposure. In this video, Jaelyn Pulkrabek, fourth-year College of Pharmacy student, vaccinates eligible students in the College of Nursing and Carver College of Medicine.

The university also is preparing to vaccinate select students and employees who are eligible under the Iowa Department of Public Health’s (IDPH) recommendations for Phase 1B, Tier 1. This includes College of Education students and faculty completing a field experience in a preK-12 classroom and first responders in the Department of Public Safety. If you are eligible, you will be contacted to schedule an appointment. You can find more information about the university’s implementation plans on coronavirus.uiowa.edu.

Mental health resources: Sleep

With the spring semester underway, sleep problems can return. Everyone can experience sleep problems at some point in their life. The stress, anxiety, new routines, and additional responsibilities we experience due to COVID-19 and other factors can disrupt our sleep, lead to changes in our sleep patterns, and decrease the quantity and quality of our sleep. Poor sleep negatively impacts our mental health, which makes sleep management extremely important.

Sleep management resources offered by the university include:

Students

  • A no-cost app accessible by smartphone or tablet that provides individualized sleep improvement strategies and feedback.
  • A weekly email program that provides education, strategies, and activities to understand and improve sleep.
  • A consultation with a Wellness staff member to learn about sleep improvement strategies and get connected to other useful resources.
  • Meet with medical providers at Student Health to make a referral to the UI Hospitals & Clinics Sleep Clinic or additional medical support.

For more information on these resources, visit studentwellness.uiowa.edu/programs/refresh.

Employees

  • A no-cost app accessible by smartphone or tablet that provides individualized sleep improvement strategies and feedback.
  • Schedule an appointment with an Employee Assistance Program staff member to learn about sleep improvement strategies and get connected to other useful resources.

For more information on these resources, visit hr.uiowa.edu/well-being/employee-assistance-program/managing-change/sleep.

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.

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

University of Iowa self-reported COVID-19 testing

These data reflect new cases since Jan. 29, 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: 5
  • Total cases: 2,918

Employees

  • New cases: 0
  • Total cases: 418

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: 0*

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.