UCI Forward

UCI Forward is our commitment to the well-being of our community as we ramp up campus operations. Working together, each of us doing our part, we can move UCI Forward.

November 19 - Updates on COVID-19

Section 1

A Zot Bot en route across campus with food from one of the four UCI eateries currently offering the delivery service. Photo by Steve Zylius/UCI

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

Staff and faculty COVID-19 testing

Beginning Nov. 30, asymptomatic testing will include on-site employees who have been identified by their supervisors. The testing locations that are available to employees are the Bren Events Center (Bren) or the Division of Continuing Education (DCE). Visit the UCI Forward website for details.

Case count

Six students have tested positive since yesterday. Visit the UCI dashboard to see active case count, cumulative case count, recovery count and positivity rate.

UCI COVID-19 NEWS AND EVENTS

Can children safely play sports during a pandemic?

Dr. Susan Huang, UCI Health medical director of epidemiology and infection prevention, tells The New York Times that children in team sports, especially indoor ones, should be wearing masks and observing other COVID-19 safety measures.

UC NEWS

University of California Health launches human donor milk bank to help newborns

University of California Health has launched an innovative mothers’ milk bank to help improve the lives of newborns, infants and their families. The new University of California Health Milk Bank is only the second one in California to be accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) and is the only milk bank in the nation that is part of a health care system. Families may have questions about the safety of mother’s milk during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study suggests the virus that causes COVID-19 does not appear to be transmitted through breast milk.

GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS

This section curates noteworthy coronavirus news, trends and opinions. No endorsement by UCI is implied. Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and OC Register for students, faculty and staff
  

Will social distancing weaken my immune system?

No. Even when we’re staying 6 feet from others or spending most of our time at home, our bodies are continuously responding to plenty of bacteria and other germs.

Why masks belong at your Thanksgiving gathering

Just because you’re with people you know doesn’t mean you’re safe from the coronavirus. Infection rates are higher now than they have ever been in the U.S., and small gatherings have been a source of viral spread.

A quarter of a million people have died in the U.S. from COVID-19

Experts predict that the country could soon be reporting 2,000 deaths a day or more, matching or exceeding the spring peak, and that 100,000 to 200,000 more Americans could die in the coming months. Just how bad it gets will depend on a variety of factors, including how well preventive measures are followed and when a vaccine is introduced.

Open economy or tamp down coronavirus infections? It’s not either-or, researchers say

It is, indeed, possible to reconcile two conflicting desires: curbing the spread of COVID-19 while still keeping the economy open, according to an international team of researchers, including from UCI.

Disney California Adventure reopening today for outdoor dining

Buena Vista Street will be open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. There’s no admission charge to enter and guests can park in the Simba lot as they do for Downtown Disney.

Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade canceled

It’s one of the first and longest running holiday boat parades on the West Coast, but this year’s Newport Beach Christmas Boat Parade has been docked by the coronavirus pandemic. The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce announced on Wednesday, Nov. 18, the cancellation of the 112th event. The annual Cruise of Lights in the Huntington Harbour is also being canceled for the second time in 58 years

California eclipses an average of 10,000 cases in a week

Over the one-week period that ended yesterday, California averaged more than 10,000 new cases each day--an unprecedented figure that has more than tripled from a month ago.

Additional 742,000 Americans filed for unemployment claims

Another 742,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits on a seasonally adjusted basis last week. This was up from the week before.

Orange County cases and hospitalizations continue to rise

As Thanksgiving approaches, Orange County’s daily coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to increase. Yesterday, Orange County saw 628 new cases, a number not seen since August.

Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine produces robust immune response in elderly

According to a study published today, the coronavirus vaccine being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca produced a strong immune response in older adults, as well as in the young.

HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER

Amid the heartbreaking loss of life and economic hardship wrought by the coronavirus, we recognize the need for stories of kindness, hope, courage and humor. 

Scraggly Christmas tree becomes a viral sensation

Cincinnati’s town Christmas tree looks like how 2020 feels.

#UCIconnected

What have you been up to during the pandemic? Send photos and/or words about your activities, workstation, volunteering or academic adventures to marketing@uci.edu or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.