April 22 - Updates on COVID-19

UCI UPDATES

UCI Launches OC Covid-19.org

To provide helpful advice and informative stories about life during the COVID-19 pandemic, UCI has launched a comprehensive news site – oc-covid19.org – to serve Orange County and regional communities. At OC-COVID19.org, you will find the latest information on COVID-19 testing, clinical trials, policy, technology, education and social issues, as well as insights and analysis on the real-life implications of these developments.

Division of Continuing Education Resources

UCI’s Division of Continuing Education (DCE) offers professional educational resources for UCI staff, faculty and students. The website lists a variety of free or discounted educational resources that are available. DCE continues to offer a 50% discount on online programs to faculty and staff, free courses for faculty and staff on Udemy, and free online courses for students, faculty and staff on Coursera.

Zoombombing Reporting

Zoombombing describes an individual or a group of individuals misusing Zoom features to interrupt a meeting or class, often with criminal, vulgar, or inappropriate images or chat messages. These incidents are unacceptable at UCI. If you experience Zoombombing, please report it to techprep@uci.edu. It is important to note that UCI has procedures in place to secure remote meetings, and everyone is encouraged to use them.

Working Remotely? You are still creating official UC records

If you are one of the many UCI employees now working remotely, please keep in mind that you are likely still creating official UC records. Now is a good time to review best practices for digital records management.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND STORIES

UCI faculty create curricula for kids worldwide confined by coronavirus

On this Earth Day, the United Nations is announcing the start of a new environmental education program for the world’s 1.5 billion youth who are confined to their homes to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and unable to physically attend classes. Earth School will include teaching modules developed and delivered by faculty from three UCI schools. The multi-media educational experiences are designed to help kids learn about Earth’s natural resources, sustainable design and what they can do to protect nature. Earth School starts today and will continue through World Environment Day on Friday, June 5.

COMMUNITY UPDATES & NEWS

FDA Authorizes First Test for Patient At-Home Sample Collection

The FDA has issued an emergency use authorization for LabCorp’s COVID-19 at home testing kit. The kit requires an individual to collect a nasal swab and mail it back to LabCorp for testing.

Expert U.S. Panel Develops NIH Treatment Guidelines for COVID-19

The National Institute of Health has developed treatment guidelines to inform clinicians on how to care for patients with COVID-19 in the form of a “living document” that will be continuously updated with new data.

Pandemic Health Care Surge Crisis Care Guidelines Issued

A 38-page document by the California Department of Public Health, prescribes a method to prioritize patients in the event that an outbreak overwhelms hospitals, preserving intensive care beds and ventilators for people with the greatest likelihood of surviving with treatment over those with serious chronic conditions.

CA Governor Launches Volunteer website: Californians for All

Governor Newsom announced a new volunteer initiative and a website that aims to connect residents looking to give back with opportunities in their communities and across the state.

Earliest Known COVID-19 Fatalities Confirmed in California

Two coronavirus-related deaths in California are found to be the earliest known deaths from the virus, new autopsy results show. The deaths were on February 6 and February 17, which was up to three weeks before the first known death in Washington.

California To Start Testing Asymptomatic People in High-Risk Settings

California becomes the first state to recommend testing asymptomatic people that either live or work in a high-risk setting, such as a nursing home, prisons or even households. These new guidelines will identify these asymptomatic people as “Priority 1.”

OC Supervisors Vote to Keep County Beaches Open

The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to keep the county’s beaches open as an incoming heat wave was expected to hit Southern California. All city beaches in Orange County remain closed.

Certain Employees at Some Essential Businesses Must Wear Face Coverings

Effective at 12 a.m. on Friday, April 24, 2020, all employees of any grocery store, pharmacy/drug store, convenience store, gas station, restaurant, food preparation establishment, or retail store in Orange County who may have contact with the public must wear a cloth face covering while at work.

OC Health Care Agency Launches the OC COVID-19 Testing Network

The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) launched the OC COVID-19 Testing Network which will provide coronavirus testing to Orange County residents that meet specific criteria. This expands testing across Orange County and creates a safety net for those unable to receive a test from their health care provider.

SiriusXM to Host ‘Stagecouch’ Broadcast This Weekend

Before the pandemic took hold, Stagecoach Country Music Festival was set to take place this weekend. SiriusXM’s The Highway channel (channel 56) will host “at home” performances from the headlining performers: Thomas Rhett (on Friday), Carrie Underwood (on Saturday), and Eric Church (on Sunday), along with other artists. The performances will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.

Air Quality Dramatically Improves in Major Cities Around the World

With lockdowns restricting travel and many industries forced to pause due to the coronavirus, the world has seen unprecedented reductions in air pollution, according to a new analysis that was released today on Earth Day.