No new positive cases of COVID-19

Since Wednesday’s notice in @Rochester, there are no new cases of COVID-19 to report. Please note that the University’s COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily. Whenever a new case is known, the contact-tracing process begins immediately with confirmed exposures being contacted and required to quarantine.

It’s extremely important for the health of the University community that individuals continue to adhere to the face masking and social distancing protocols. Even as some individuals are now receiving their first or second dose of the vaccine, these practices to prevent the transmission of the virus cannot be relaxed.

If you think you’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, it’s important to report them through Dr. Chat Bot immediately. Even if you think your symptoms might be something else—like a cold, seasonal congestion, or allergies—it’s still important to tell University health professionals and contact tracers what you’re experiencing.

Update and clarification for vaccine-eligible faculty and staff

From University IT: Important security update for Apple iPhone and iPad users

New research on carbon cracks open secrets deep inside exoplanets

For the first time in a laboratory setting, researchers have achieved extreme pressures that help them to understand the structure of carbon that sits in the interior of carbon-rich exoplanets. The international team of researchers, includes Gilbert (Rip) Collins, the Tracy Hyde Harris Professor of Mechanical Engineering and associate director of science, technology, and academics at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), and Ryan Rygg, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and of physics and a senior scientist at the LLE.

Wharton elevated to associate dean for equity and inclusion at School of Nursing

Mitchell Wharton has been named as the School of Nursing’s new associate dean for equity and inclusion. An assistant professor of clinical nursing and faculty diversity officer, he will be the first male and the first person from a group underrepresented in nursing to serve at the associate dean level of senior administration at the school. He will begin his new duties February 1.

Testing regimen screens students as they return to campus housing

As part of the start of the spring semester, staff from University Health Service, Residential Life, and Athletics and Recreation set up a COVID-19 testing site in the Field House in Goergen Athletic Center. All students living in campus housing are required to be tested before moving into their residential assignment.

Will the COVID-19 vaccine work on new strains of the virus?

MSN News, January 25

“As long as the antibodies they express are even slightly reactive with the spike protein, they will adapt to that viral protein very quickly,” says Dave Topham, the Marie Curran Wilson and Joseph Chamberlain Wilson Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology and director of the New York Influenza Center of Excellence. He’s hopeful that any previous immunity to SARS-CoV-2 will still have some utility against new viral strains—even if it takes a little time to adapt.

Department wellness challenge

As a University employee, you and your whole department can participate in your own wellness challenge with the support and assistance of Well-U, your employee wellness team. Check out the toolkits ready and waiting for you to jump in, have fun, and connect with your coworkers, in-person or from home.

Life insurance beneficiary information

You may view or change your life insurance beneficiary information online at any time by logging into HRMS and clicking on “Securian Financial.”  If you do not name a beneficiary, policy benefits will be paid, in order of priority, to your lawful spouse, children, parents, siblings, or estate.

Consider participating in health research

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute supports a local registry of individuals who are interested in volunteering for future health research. Anyone can join this registry. If you join, University researchers may contact you in the future to ask you to take part in a research study. You can decide at that time whether or not you want to participate. Visit the UR Health Research website to sign up for the local registry. To get involved in COVID-19 research, you can visit the Coronavirus Research Studies website. Additionally, the NIH supports a national registry of individuals interested in health research participation, connecting volunteers with researchers across the county. Visit ResearchMatch.org to add your name to the national registry.