{"id":94000,"date":"2022-12-05T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=94000"},"modified":"2022-12-02T22:17:13","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T04:17:13","slug":"covid-19-continues-to-raise-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2022\/12\/05\/covid-19-continues-to-raise-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID-19 continues to raise concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nationally and locally, COVID-19 cases are trending upward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cases have gone up 15% nationally over the past two weeks, said Jane Meza, PhD, interim executive director for the Office of Health Security, and likely remain underreported due to the Thanksgiving holiday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The data is trending in the wrong direction, she said, as increases are being seen in test positivity rates, hospitalizations and the concentration of SARS-CoV-2 virus found in wastewater surveillance data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Meza joined UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, Thursday during his last all-campus forum for 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCases are on the increase, and we need to be mindful as we move into colder weather and are more likely to be indoors,\u201d Dr. Meza said. \u201cAs we prepare to be with friends and family through the holiday season, it\u2019s a good idea to get tested weekly and prevent any possible spread of diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the medical center community can view the forum.<\/em><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it\u2019s been a while since you last used the 1-Check COVID app, you may want to check out the latest version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe app has moved far beyond just COVID-19 monitoring capabilities,\u201d Dr. Gold told the online forum audience. In addition to screening for COVID-19, the self-screening app allows individuals to monitor their health symptoms for influenza, RSV and monkeypox \u2013 as well as provides guidance based on their screening response. The app also has a new facial scan feature that allows app users to \u2013 reliably and confidentially \u2013 assess their blood oxygen level and heart rate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1-Check UNMC app<\/a> remains helpful in assessing symptoms, Dr. Meza said, noting \u201cwhen people really need it it\u2019s there.\u201d The app is free and available to Apple iOS and Android users via Apple’s App Store and Google Play. In addition, the 1-Check COVID app remains available<\/a> to the public and also can be found on the App Store and Google Play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising numbers of influenza and RSV also are impacting hospitals and bed availability, Dr. Gold said, encouraging individuals to get both their influenza and bivalent booster vaccines, which are both in ample supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Meza reminded the campus community that surgical masks are required in clinical spaces across all UNMC campuses, and said campus leaders will continue to monitor the data to see whether changes are needed to UNMC\u2019s COVID-19 safety guidelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, saliva PCR testing remains available for faculty, staff and students who are not sick and want to be tested. On the Omaha campus, testing is available:<\/p>\n\n\n\n