College of Medicine Pandemic Response Friday Round-Up – Week of Feb. 1-5
College of Medicine leaders updated faculty, staff and students on Feb. 5 about the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic:
Lunch and Learn: “The COVID-19 Vaccine: Your Questions Answered” Feb. 16: Dr. Umar Farooq, Dr. Ben Fogel and Dr. Shawn Phillips will present “The COVID-19 Vaccine: Your Questions Answered” Tuesday, Feb. 16, from noon to 1 p.m. The virtual session is part of Clinical Documentation Improvement’s Lunch and Learn Series. Zoom: https://pshealth.zoom.us/j/97739815415?pwd=R2NsVXlLTkhYT1JseHIvYnhPQ3NjUT09
Answering Patient Questions about Your Vaccination Status: As COVID-19 vaccines continue to be in high demand and eligibility focus moves from health care workers to other members of the public, COM faculty and students should anticipate patient and family questions about their vaccination status. Please keep in mind:
- COVID-19 vaccines are authorized for emergency use only, and COM and Penn State Health employees are not currently required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Individual vaccination status is protected under HIPAA, and COM and Penn State Health employees and students are not required to share this status with patients or other members of the public. Employees and students may share their status as they are comfortable doing so and should be aware of the broad differences in vaccine perceptions before deciding to do so.
Please use this guidance to ensure we, as a COM and health care system, are consistently answering this question for our patients and community members:
Q: Did you get vaccinated?
If the student or care team member is willing to share their personal status:
A: Yes, I have been vaccinated. Most of our doctors, nurses, desk staff and others involved in your care have gotten the vaccine. But keep in mind, while the vaccine is very effective in preventing you from being sick with COVID, we don’t yet fully know if it protects you from passing COVID onto others. That’s why we continue to mask up, wash up and practice social distancing. As long as all members of our hospital care team are following these safety procedures, there’s very little chance of you getting the virus from a health care worker, whether they have gotten the vaccine or not.
If the student or care team member prefers not to share personal status:
A: Thank you for your concern. You may know that my personal health information, like yours – for COVID vaccinations or any other illness – is private and protected by the HIPAA privacy rule. What I can tell you is this: The vast majority of our doctors, nurses, desk staff and others involved in your care have gotten the vaccine. But keep in mind, while the vaccine is very effective in preventing you from being sick with COVID, we don’t yet fully know if it protects you from passing COVID onto others. That’s why we continue to mask up, wash up and practice social distancing. As long as all members of our hospital care team are following these safety procedures, there’s very little chance of getting the virus from a health care worker, whether they have gotten the vaccine or not.
Take Actions to Avoid Zoom Bombings: Recent incidents of racist, hate-filled “Zoom bombings” during meetings and lectures at the university and the health system serve as an urgent reminder to take actions to avoid the video-teleconferencing attacks. Here is guidance from Cybersecurity and Privacy for hosting secure Zoom meetings:
- Do not make Zoom meetings public. There are two options to make a meeting private: require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests. See the Configuring your Zoom Account job aid for more details.
- Do not share the Zoom meeting link on public websites or social media. Provide the link directly to the specific individuals you need in the meeting. Be sure to verify the identities of your attendees, especially if you are discussing sensitive information.
- Do not allow attendees to screen-share. Ensure screen-sharing is set to “Host Only.” If you are creating a meeting on behalf of someone else, designate “Alternate Hosts.” See the How to Screen Share job aid and the Configuring your Zoom Account job aid for more details.
Student Testing to Take Place Feb. 16 and 17: Mandatory testing of all COM students will occur Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 16 and 17, at the University Conference Center from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Students will be receiving information directly from their program coordinators with more information.
Required Surveillance Testing for Employees and Students: Beginning Feb. 15, the University will conduct random daily surveillance testing of approximately 2% of the University’s on-campus population across all campuses. Random daily surveillance testing is also planned for students starting early March. More details will be announcement later. Employees and students who are randomly selected to participate in surveillance testing will receive an email indicating they have been selected and must complete a COVID-19 test. Please note that students will need to complete both the random surveillance testing and required campus testing.
Exposed to COVID or Have Symptoms? If you have been exposed to COVID-19 or are sick with COVID-like symptoms, employees should continue to call Occupational Health at 814-863-8492. Students should continue to call Student Health at 717-531-5998.
COVID-19 Resources for College of Medicine Faculty, Staff, Trainees and Students: See the latest policies, information and resources for both on-campus and remote working and learning by visiting med.psu.edu/coronavirus.
In Case You Missed It
See last week’s email which covered the following topics:
- Watch Replay of Vaccine Town Hall
- COVID-19 Vaccination Update
- Required Surveillance Testing for Employees and Students
- Reagent Supply Center Now Open
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