Latest Updates - Page 13 of 31 - Coronavirus Response

Duke Employee Occupational Health and Wellness (EOHW) is here to support the health of faculty and staff during this challenging time. In order to do so, every employee needs to complete the consent process to allow EOHW to provide the necessary guidance, support, and care in the event of COVID-19 infection or exposure.

Without this consent, EOHW will be unable to order COVID-19 labs or view results without a signed authorization for release of medical information form.

Email notifications are being distributed requesting employees to provide authorization through the REDCap system. The email and the domains linked within are legitimate. The links will not be included in this post as they are unique to each recipient. If you have any questions regarding this email or any issues accessing the links within, please contact the OIT Service Desk: https://oit.duke.edu/help.

If you do not know your NetID or password, consent using the link provided below and contact the OIT Service Desk ((919) 681-2200 or visit https://oit.duke.edu/help) to have your NetID and password reset.

Testing Update: January 11-17, 2021

By Kristen Brown

On January 19, 2021

In Community Messages, Duke University, Testing & Reporting

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing and contact tracing program administered 18,465 tests to students and 3,077 tests to faculty/staff for the period January 11-17, with a total of 76 positive results. Among students – who are required to be tested before they can begin their classes and on-campus activities – there were 49 positive results, identified through gateway testing and frequent surveillance testing for asymptomatic students as well as tests for those exhibiting symptoms.

More than half of the students who tested positive have just recently returned to Duke from other parts of the country, in many cases from areas where the prevalence of COVID-19 in the population is greater than in North Carolina. The individuals who tested positive have been placed in isolation, while those identified as potential contacts have been placed in precautionary quarantine. The total positivity rate was 0.35 percent.

The full announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated every Tuesday.

Updated Priority Distribution for COVID-19 Vaccination

By Paul Grantham

On January 14, 2021

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

Today, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced changes to the criteria for priority distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to include individuals 65 years of age or older in Group 2. In addition, DHHS announced a modification to Group 1 to include all healthcare workers who work in a healthcare setting.

Faculty and staff who meet this new criteria will receive an email from Duke Employee Occupational Health inviting them to schedule an appointment for vaccination at one of the three employee vaccination clinics located at our three hospitals. Eligible staff will be able to select the location most convenient for them. Only employees are eligible to be vaccinated at our employee clinics. We are not able to vaccinate employee dependents or others at these sites.

The expansion of the Group 2 criteria to include those 65 years of age and older applies to Duke Health patients and the general public, as well. We will continue our current approach to scheduling vaccination appointments through MyChart for this target population.

At this time, those who do not meet the updated criteria, including those younger than 65 years of age who are living, working or studying on campus, are not yet eligible to be vaccinated.

We continue to receive a multitude of messages and questions about when individuals can be vaccinated. The criteria for vaccination are dictated by the state and are dynamic. We will notify you directly to schedule an appointment once you are eligible for vaccination. In the meanwhile, please monitor the Duke COVID Vaccine website to review the details for the priority distribution plan and answers to frequently asked questions.

Sincerely,

Kyle Cavanaugh
Vice President, Administration

Carol Epling, MD, MSPH
Director, Employee Occupational Health and Wellness

Gail Shulby, RN, MA, CPPS
Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President, Duke Health

Cameron R. Wolfe, MBBS (Hons), MPH, FIDSA
Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Duke Health

Co-Leaders of the Duke COVID Vaccination Work Group

Testing Update: January 3-10, 2021

By Kristen Brown

On January 12, 2021

In Community Messages, Duke University, Testing & Reporting

Duke University’s comprehensive COVID-19 testing and contact tracing program administered 7,998 tests to students and 2,289 tests to faculty/staff for the period January 3-10, with a total of 62 positive results. There were 34 positive results for students and those individuals have been placed in precautionary quarantine. One student who had been in isolation and 24 who had been in precautionary quarantine were cleared to resume normal activities.

The full announcement of testing results is posted to Duke Today.

Testing data is also available on our Testing Tracker, which is updated every Tuesday.

Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Plans for Duke Community

By Paul Grantham

On January 7, 2021

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

While there is much excitement about the COVID-19 vaccine and the potential to bring an end to this pandemic, we ask for your continued patience as the distribution process will take many months. In the meantime, please continue to mask, socially distance, monitor your symptoms, and use good hand hygiene.

The State of North Carolina has established updated priorities for vaccination based on the CDC guidelines. As part of the initial roll out, more than 20,000 members of the Duke community are included in Phase 1a, including Duke health care workers, university COVID research teams, and other staff members whose roles present a high risk for exposure to COVID-19, such as police officers working in the emergency department. To date, more than 12,000 doses of vaccine have been administered. We are in the process of scheduling appointments for the remainder of this phase, as well as for the second doses of the Pfizer vaccine that must be administered approximately 21 days after the initial dose.

The state has authorized vaccination providers to begin vaccinating the first group of the Phase 1b population, which is limited to those who are 75 years of age or older. This process is underway, and Duke faculty and staff who are 75 years of age or older have been invited to schedule an appointment for vaccination. Duke Health has more than 100,000 patients who meet this criterion as well as many others in the broader community, so it will take time and additional vaccine supply to complete vaccination of this group. Duke Health is not yet scheduling appointments for other groups in Phase 1b, including Group 2 (Health care and frontline workers essential to the COVID response who are 50 years of age or older) and Group 3 (Frontline workers of any age and health care workers of any age, regardless of whether they work directly with COVID-19 patients) as the state has yet to indicate when progression to these groups will be authorized.

Individuals who are not designated in the initial phases – including students, faculty and staff without high risk for exposure or increased risk for severe illness – will likely be eligible to receive vaccinations later in the spring or early summer. For that reason, we urge everyone, including those who have been vaccinated, to continue to wear masks, keep at least 6-feet of distance, wash hands regularly, and avoid gatherings with people who do not live with you.

North Carolina and the nation are seeing the highest levels of COVID infection and hospitalizations since the pandemic first began. While the vaccine offers hope for an end to this pandemic, the speed at which it happens will be directly related to our collective ability to adhere to public safety guidelines that limit the spread of the virus.

Thank you for what you have done and continue to do during this extraordinary time to keep yourself and other members of our community safe. You can find more information about the vaccine, including resources and answers to common questions, please visit the Duke COVID-19 Vaccine website.

Sincerely,

Kyle Cavanaugh
Vice President, Administration

Carol Epling, MD, MSPHz
Director, Employee Occupational Health and Wellness

Gail Shulby, RN, MA, CPPS
Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President, Duke Health

Cameron R. Wolfe, MBBS (Hons), MPH, FIDSA
Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases,

Duke HealthCo-Leaders of the Duke COVID Vaccination Work Group

Events Guidance for Spring Semester

By Paul Grantham

On January 3, 2021

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students, For Visitors to Campus

The following message was sent to senior administrators and deans on Dec. 30, 2020.

UPDATE: please note that as of March 1, 2021 there has been no change to these guidelines.

We know that limiting the size of gatherings, wearing masks, being outdoors, and maintaining social distancing are proven means of reducing risk and virus transmission. Combined with our robust testing and tracing program, and the commitment of our students, faculty and staff, these measures have been successful so far in protecting the safety of the Duke community.

While the deployment of the vaccine provides much-needed hope for a return to normalcy, it will take some time for broad distribution of the vaccine and therefore it is unlikely to have a significant impact on our plans for the Spring. Local, state and national public health conditions will be acute for the next several months. Thus, Duke University will continue to observe the following restrictions through at least February 28, 2021:

No in-person public events will be permitted on the Duke campus. This includes performances, concerts, lectures, reunions, alumni and development programs, conferences, symposia, tours, board meetings and any other event to which individuals who are not Duke students, faculty or staff would be invited or expected to attend.
In-person gatherings other than scheduled classes and approved student activities are limited to 10 persons, 6’ social distanced, masked, and neither food nor beverages consumed.
No in-person events hosted, sponsored or paid for by Duke will be permitted to take place off-campus, both in Durham and elsewhere in or outside the U.S.
We will continue to monitor public health conditions and provide further guidance for the remainder of the spring semester, including commencement, as soon as we can reasonably do so in 2021.

This fall, many events were held virtually to much success and attracted large audiences, including town halls, conferences, and even a socially distanced performance of the Messiah. Please continue to submit your virtual events to the University Event Calendar by clicking on “SUBMIT A PUBLIC LINK” at http://admin.calendar.duke.edu.

We also recognize that, even with these restrictions, you may still want to propose public events and activities. To that end, there is an appeal and review process that Mike Schoenfeld will continue to oversee in consultation with the appropriate university leaders. For more information see: http://events.duke.edu/2021request.

Thank you in advance for conveying this information to colleagues, faculty, staff and event planners in your departments. We will continue to monitor conditions closely and look forward to returning to our regular schedule of broad public engagement as soon as it is safe to do so.

Update on Surveillance/Pooled Testing for Spring Semester

By Kristen Brown

On December 30, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff

This email was sent to all Duke University faculty and staff members

Dear Duke University Faculty and Staff Members,

Next week Duke’s campus will begin to see increased activity again as faculty, staff and students start returning from the holiday break. As a means of helping identify asymptomatic cases of COVID-19 and reducing the potential for outbreaks on campus, we will resume surveillance testing for the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 6.

Faculty and staff who will report on-site regularly as part of their work responsibilities have been identified by their schools and department and have the opportunity to participate in surveillance testing each week. These individuals will also receive reminders each week about participating in surveillance testing.

Anyone who regularly reports on-site each week as part of their work responsibilities who does not receive a notification about surveillance testing by Jan. 6, 2021, can request to be included by completing a brief online form.

The location and operating hours for testing sites can be found on the Duke United website, which also includes instructions, FAQs and videos about the process and what to expect. The self-administered process should take about 5 minutes, and collection sites will be established in multiple locations on East and West campuses and the Washington Duke Inn for convenience. Participants should arrive at the test site with their DukeCard ID or mobile device with the SymMon app to register for a test kit.

Results from tests typically take about 48 hours. You will only be contacted if the results are positive for COVID-19, at which point you will receive further medical guidance and support.

During the holidays, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in North Carolina have risen to their highest levels since the beginning of the pandemic. Surveillance testing is an important strategy to help limit the spread of the virus, but we also encourage everyone, whether working on-site or remotely, to continue to monitor your symptoms on a daily basis, limit travel, keep at least 6 feet of distance from others, and wear a mask to protect yourself and others. These collective efforts remain our best defense against the virus as we look toward brighter days ahead with the distribution of the vaccines, which will take several months to complete.

Kyle Cavanaugh,
Vice President, Administration

New FAQ for Grad & Professional Students

By Kristen Brown

On December 28, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Students, Testing & Reporting

A new set of FAQ for Graduate and Professional students about testing protocols during the Spring 2021 semester has been added to the Duke United website.

Questions cover topics such as:

Reporting the results of COVID-19 tests administered outside of Duke
Logistics for gateway/entry testing
Testing requirements for students not planning to come to campus at all during the semester
Where to find contacts for various programs
Expectations for surveillance testing during the spring semester

Pre-Arrival Testing and Entry Information for Graduate & Professional Students

By Kristen Brown

On December 21, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Students

A version of this message is being sent to all Duke graduate and professional students. The testing group and dates for arrival testing are the only variable between versions. See the note marked with ** below

Monday, December 21, 2020

Dear graduate and professional students,

We hope you are, or will soon be having a safe and restorative Winter Break. It is hard to believe that it is already time to prepare for the spring semester, but we are hard at work preparing to support your Duke experience this spring.

Whether you will remain in the Durham area over the break, or are returning to Durham from elsewhere, there are a few things you will need to do before you arrive in Durham and/or return to campus.

If you are planning to return to campus or the Durham area this spring, please read in full the important information below on pre-arrival testing, quarantining before returning to campus, entry testing, and other health guidance.

Duke is closely monitoring public health conditions as well as state and local regulations so all of these plans are subject to change on short notice. As you prepare for the spring semester, it is important to plan ahead as much as possible to be prepared should the situation shift.

Spring semester will certainly look different than previous years. But, as President Price shared in his message, we were able to have a successful and safe fall semester thanks to the extraordinary dedication of our students, staff and faculty. Please join us in renewing our shared commitment to protecting the health and wellbeing of the entire Duke community. We look forward to seeing you on campus soon.

Thank you for your attention to this information, and best wishes for a healthy and restorative holiday and winter break.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Francis
Executive Vice Provost

Kyle Cavanaugh
Vice President, Administration

BEFORE YOU TRAVEL TO DURHAM

Self-Quarantine

If you have travelled somewhere outside of the Durham area, following public health guidance, we are asking that all students traveling to the Durham area observe 10 days of quarantine prior to their travels. During quarantine, you should limit your contact to immediate household members, take care to observe social distancing, wear face coverings if you must be outside the home, and wash your hands frequently. Quarantining is a proven strategy to minimize the likelihood of a widespread outbreak when students return to campus for the spring semester.

Pre-Arrival Testing

Students who are returning to Durham from other locations are STRONGLY encouraged to take a COVID test within five days of your arrival to Durham; check local and state public health resources to find out what might be available in your area. This means if you will arrive in Durham on January 9, you should get tested between January 4-8 and wait to come to campus until you receive your result. Though voluntary, this precaution is one more way to help protect the Duke and Durham communities. Please note that pre-arrival testing for those traveling back to Durham is encouraged in addition to entry testing (also referred to as gateway testing) once you arrive in Durham.

Please report any positive results to Student Health through Duke MyChart and observe isolation protocols BEFORE you return to Durham. If you are in quarantine due to exposure to others with COVID-19, please inform Student Health. YOU SHOULD NOT RETURN TO CAMPUS OR DURHAM UNTIL YOUR QUARANTINE OR ISOLATION PERIOD HAS ENDED AND YOU ARE SYMPTOM-FREE. If you are in isolation and cannot return to campus at the designated time, please email your school or program contact and contact Student Health and your academic dean.

Proof of Previous Diagnosis

If you have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 3 months (October, November, or December 2020), you must still sign up for an entry testing slot, although you do not need to be tested. You should bring a hard copy of your test report with you to Penn Pavilion or submit your report through Duke MyChart. You may receive additional instructions from Student Health about your arrival procedure and screening testing if you have previously tested positive for COVID-19.

WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN DURHAM

Entry Testing

Graduate and professional students who plan to be on campus for any reason and any length of time this spring, even just to pick up library books, are required to participate in entry testing upon their arrival in Durham. Please note that your DukeCard will not be activated until you complete entry testing, unless you have been cleared to continue coming to campus and are currently participating in winter break surveillance testing.

Entry testing for graduate and professional students will take place in Penn Pavilion. You must register for a testing slot in advance. Please be sure to register for your testing slot by WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30. Students have been assigned to a testing window based on program start date as well as the need to access labs and other campus facilities. We recognize that your assigned window may not be optimal, but we are balancing many student and program needs and we do not have an ability to make changes and exceptions.

** Each student should check their email to confirm their assigned testing period

Period 1: January 3-4
Period 2: January 5-8
Period 3: January 9-13

If you are unable to test during your assigned window, it is likely that we will not be not be able to accommodate you until later in January. You will be required to take classes remotely and not come to campus until baseline testing is complete.

We encourage you to plan your travel around your confirmed testing time; please do NOT just show up to Penn Pavilion without having a confirmed testing slot. Further details on entry testing, including parking details and on-site procedures, will be shared later. In the meantime, questions about testing may be sent to your program contact.

Post-Arrival Sequester Period

After entry testing, all students are required to sequester in their home until they receive a negative COVID-19 test result. Test results will be made available through Duke MyChart, likely 36 – 48 hours after testing. While awaiting your test results, students are expected to limit any unnecessary movement and activity outside of their home, and should avoid other students and staff during this time.

Any students who test positive will receive isolation instructions under the care of Duke clinicians and will participate in contact tracing, which is used to identify any other potential positive cases.

PLANNING AHEAD

While we hope this would not happen, public health conditions may require the university to implement a shelter-in-place status, shift to remote-only instruction, or ask you to isolate or quarantine based on your individual circumstance. We don’t say this to alarm anyone—in fact, just the opposite. Simple steps such as maintaining a stock of non-perishable food and water in your room or apartment, ensuring you have needed course materials with you whether in Durham or elsewhere, and having any important items you may need on hand (such as medications, etc.) enable you to adapt to changing conditions. We urge all students to plan for these types of scenarios.

In addition, we will still have policies this spring that limit gatherings, especially indoors and especially while eating.

Other aspects of fall pandemic life on campus will resume in the spring semester. As was the case in the fall, surveillance testing is required for any graduate or professional student coming to campus for any reason or length of time. Symptom monitoring will continue, with all students filling out their daily symptom monitoring report in order to be cleared to access campus that day. Everyone on campus will be required to wear facemasks and maintain distancing. And all students will still be united by their commitment to the Duke Compact, and each other.

While Duke Health has begun to vaccinate health care personnel per CDC recommendations, we do not anticipate that the vaccine will be available to most students or university staff this spring. Students with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for severe COVID-19 illness should contact Student Health to discuss potential eligibility for early vaccination.

Update on COVID-19 Vaccination Plans for the Duke Community

By Paul Grantham

On December 21, 2020

In Community Messages, Duke University, For Faculty, For Staff, For Students

This message was sent to all students and University faculty and staff.

The arrival of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccination has created a new sense of hope in the midst of a deeply concerning surge of the virus in North Carolina and across the country. The distribution process, however, will take many months and is determined by the state government. While health care workers will continue to receive priority, we expect that most members of the University community will not be eligible to receive the vaccine until spring 2021 or later.

The initial recipients of the vaccine at Duke will be approximately 4,000 healthcare workers in Phase 1a who are at risk of prolonged exposure to COVID-19 patients and researchers who are working in labs that handle the COVID-19 virus. Last week, 1,100 of those individuals received the vaccine at Duke. That process is expected to continue through early January and will then expand to include healthcare workers at risk of exposure to COVID due to their assigned duties in hospitals and clinics. More than 8,000 of these appointments have already been scheduled.

The State of North Carolina will determine the completion of the initial phase and authorize expanded access to the vaccine. Duke experts are working closely with the state on this process and are preparing the necessary protocols to expand vaccination to other groups once approved. All recipients of the vaccine are required to register through the state’s vaccine management system before an appointment can be scheduled with a healthcare provider for vaccination. This helps ensure individuals meet the eligibility criteria and allows for equitable and efficient distribution.

Because we know the distribution of the vaccine across our community will take time, we urge you to take every precaution to keep yourself and others safe, especially during the holiday season. This includes wearing a mask, maintaining 6 feet of distance, and avoiding gatherings with others who do not live in your home. Please stay vigilant and continue to protect yourself, your family and the Duke community.

More information about vaccine distribution for the Duke community, including answers to frequently asked questions, can be found on the Duke COVID-19 Vaccine website. Thank you for your ongoing support and patience as we enter this hopeful new stage.

Sincerely,

Kyle Cavanaugh
Vice President, Administration

Carol Epling, MD, MSPH
Director, Employee Occupational Health and Wellness

Gail Shulby, RN, MA, CPPS
Chief of Staff to the Executive Vice President, Duke Health

Cameron R. Wolfe, MBBS (Hons), MPH, FIDSA
Associate Professor of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Duke Health

Co-Leaders of the Duke COVID Vaccination Work Group