How UCT will report new cases of COVID-19 on campus

25 June 2020 | From Kgethi
 

Dear students and colleagues

Because of the high rates of community infection of COVID-19, more of us in the University of Cape Town (UCT) community now know someone who has tested positive. It is more important than ever that we each continue to do our part to protect each other – especially people who are more vulnerable to the disease. We recognise that many members of the UCT community are dealing with anxieties, pain and illness and some are grieving for loved ones who have succumbed to COVID-19. This is an extraordinary and painful time for many and I wish you strength as we go through the next months.

Before the lockdown took effect in March, UCT began issuing regular updates on our institutional responses to COVID-19. By May, we had reported that eight staff members and students had tested positive for the virus; these have all recovered fully. However, these reports did not include students in the Faculty of Health Sciences, or staff in that faculty who are joint staff members in the Provincial Department of Health (PDoH) or the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS).

In light of the rising infection rate, I am writing to explain how we will report new cases at UCT. We do not normally report on the health condition of UCT community members. However, we chose to do so with the COVID-19 cases for the following reasons:

  1. COVID-19 is a notifiable disease. We all need to know how prevalent it is in our UCT community, so we can provide the necessary care and support to students and staff members. We will not report the names of people who test positive for COVID-19. We will only make public non-personalised information as it is reported to us by UCT faculties and units. We remain committed to protecting the confidentiality of every individual’s health information.
  2. By reporting the facts as we receive them, we want to prevent the circulation of false or unverified information about the impact of the virus on the UCT community. We follow a stringent fact verification process to ensure accuracy.
  3. We want to promote professionalism and calm by assuring you of the support provided by Student Wellness Services, Organisational Health Services in the Department of Human Resources, and Occupational Health Services in the Department of Properties and Services.

To exercise leadership in how we respond to COVID-19, we all must provide responsible, accurate reporting and work together to manage the impact of the pandemic with compassion and care.

Anybody can contract COVID-19. Many who caught it have recovered fully. This is a time to show empathy and support to each other, because so many of us are affected by anxiety and physical stress. While physical distancing is necessary, we can show kindness in how we talk and treat each other, and through messages of support via phone, email or online messaging.

If someone is self-isolating to prevent the spread of the virus, please respect their right to confidentiality about their health status, without making assumptions about them. Most important is that we do not stigmatise each other or allow others to do so. We all need care, encouragement and time to rest and heal. Please remember the UCT services available to support your physical and mental well-being.

Since our last report on COVID-19 cases in May, there have been some delays and complexities in reporting new cases. We learned of additional cases involving UCT Health Sciences staff members and students working with the PDoH or the NHLS. These infections were reported officially to the relevant government offices, but not to UCT. Each of these cases were notified and contact tracing teams followed government protocol to identify and manage their contacts. Going forward, all cases involving jointly appointed staff and students will continue to be reported in this manner to the PDoH and NHLS, and not via UCT’s channels.

We have decided that cases of COVID-19 infection among Health Sciences staff and students performing health system work need to be reported separately from cases involving the rest of the UCT community, because UCT members in the health system group are at far higher risk of infection.

As a result, here are the new COVID-19 cases since we last reported on 14 May 2020:

  • 28 staff members in the non-health sciences UCT community have tested positive for COVID-19, with two recoveries so far. We are deeply saddened that three staff members have passed away from COVID-19 complications.
  • Five medical students in the Health Sciences faculty have tested positive for COVID-19. They are all engaged in their final-year clinical platform.
  • Four students in other faculties have tested positive.

UCT will update these figures on a regular basis.

As we plan for the phased reopening of the university, we all need to take collective responsibility for our safety as a community, by following safety and hygiene procedures. You must follow these practices if you are invited to return to campus. The Return to UCT Policy Framework, which will be released soon to the broader UCT community, provides containment strategies to minimise the risk of spreading the virus.

Please stay safe and strong.

With kind regards

Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice-Chancellor


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Coronavirus Disease 2019 updates

COVID-19 is a global pandemic that caused President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare a national disaster in South Africa on 15 March 2020 and to implement a national lockdown from 26 March.

UCT is taking the threat of infection in our university community extremely seriously, and this page will be updated regularly with the latest COVID-19 information. Please note that the information on this page is subject to change depending on current lockdown regulations.

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2020

New SRC and other updates 16:44, 4 November 2020
Virtual graduation ceremonies 13:30, 21 October 2020
Online staff assembly and other updates 15:09, 30 September 2020
Fee adjustments and other updates 15:21, 16 September 2020
Call for proposals: TLC2020 10:15, 26 August 2020
SAULM survey and other updates 15:30, 5 August 2020
COVID-19 cases and other updates 15:26, 5 August 2020
New UCT Council and other updates 15:12, 15 July 2020
Upcoming UCT virtual events 09:30, 15 July 2020
Pre-paid data for UCT students 14:25, 22 April 2020
Update for postgraduate students 12:55, 20 April 2020
UCT Human Resources and COVID-19 16:05, 19 March 2020
UCT confirms second COVID-19 case 09:15, 19 March 2020
Update on UCT COVID-19 response 13:50, 11 March 2020
Update on COVID-19 17:37, 6 March 2020

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Getting credible, evidence-based, accessible information and recommendations relating to COVID-19

The Department of Medicine at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, are producing educational video material for use on digital platforms and in multiple languages. The information contained in these videos is authenticated and endorsed by the team of experts based in the Department of Medicine. Many of the recommendations are based on current best evidence and are aligned to provincial, national and international guidelines. For more information on UCT’s Department of Medicine, please visit the website.


To watch more videos like these, visit the Department of Medicine’s YouTube channel.

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In an email to the UCT community, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng said:
“COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a rapidly changing epidemic. [...] Information [...] will be updated as and when new information becomes available.”

 

We are continuing to monitor the situation and we will be updating the UCT community regularly – as and when there are further updates. If you are concerned or need more information, students can contact the Student Wellness Service on 021 650 5620 or 021 650 1271 (after hours), while staff can contact 021 650 5685.

 

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