Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)

University of Mississippi

Wednesday, February 10, 2021 COVID-19 Updates

University News

New Testing Location
Due to winter weather, the university’s free Asymptomatic Testing will transition from drive-through testing in the Ford Center parking lot to walk-in testing at the University-Oxford Depot, located in the lower parking lot just north of the Ford Center. The facility includes an ADA-compliant access ramp, and designated parking will be provided for individuals getting tested. All other details of the testing program remain the same. The Asymptomatic Testing dashboard for this semester can be found at the bottom of the dashboard page on the university’s COVID-19 website.
 
New Blog by Dr. Gispen — Positive Vaccine Side Effects: Hugging and Herd Immunity
Dr. Jean Gispen, staff physician with Employee Health, has written a new blog that shares additional information about the COVID-19 vaccine with a healthy dose of her sense of humor and perspective.
 
Asymptomatic Testing FAQs
How do I access my results?
You must create a Sonic MyAccess account to receive your results. Visit the lab provider’s website to create an account and view your results. Most test results will be available within 24 hours. If you have questions about accessing your results or your Sonic MyAccess account, please email Ashley Thompson, visit the Sonic Health website or call 877-277-6642.
 
Vaccine Mythbuster
MYTH: The vaccine will not work against the new strains of COVID-19.
FACT: To date, the vaccines appear to be effective against new strains, however, this is a rapidly evolving situation that is being monitored closely by public health officials and government agencies. The best strategy to stop the coronavirus from mutating and developing new variants is by slowing transmission of this virus. Ongoing prevention practices such as hand washing, social distancing, wearing a mask around others, and avoiding social gatherings will help slow the transmission of COVID-19.
 
University COVID-19-related News Stories

Students

Kickoff Career Week with LinkedIN
During Career Week, the Career Center will host various events Feb. 15-17 for students to learn how to become an exceptional job applicant. Visit Handshake to register for all events listed below.
  • Feb. 15, 12 p.m. — A LinkedIn representative will provide expert advice on all that you need to know to “Rock your LinkedIn profile!” Registration for this event is required.
  • Feb. 16, 12 p.m. — Learn about Handshake, how to navigate upcoming career fairs hosted on Handshake, and what employers look for in resumes and cover letters.
  • Feb. 17, 12 p.m. — Learn tips for successful virtual interviewing. We will cover how to set up your virtual interviewing environment and much more.
 
Beyond the Pharmacy Counter: A Career in Pharmaceutical Sciences
All majors are invited to join the School of Pharmacy and the Career Center on Feb. 16 at 12 noon to learn about career and educational options in the pharmaceutical sciences. Register for the event on Handshake.
 
Upcoming Events
Check out some of the upcoming events on campus. You can see the entire list of registered student events in The ForUM.
 
COVID-19 Impact Survey
Take the national College Student COVID-19 Impact Survey in order to help the university, in collaboration with researchers at Columbia University, understand how the pandemic has affected undergraduate students’ health and decisions-making.
 
UM Libraries Upcoming Events
  • Feb. 17, 3:30 p.m. — 3D Printing & Design for Beginners
  • Feb. 19, 12:15 p.m. — Shortstop: Getting Started with Adobe Rush
  • Feb. 23, 4 p.m. — Shortstop: Getting Started with Adobe Spark
  • Feb. 24, 3:30 p.m. — iMovie for Beginners
  • Feb. 26, 12:15 p.m. — Shortstop: Introduction to Ukulele
Visit this page for more information, to register and to see more upcoming events.
 
Oxford Film Festival Drive-In
  • Feb. 12, 7 and 9:30 p.m. — “Moonlight”
  • Feb. 13, 7 p.m. — “The Wedding Singer”
  • Feb. 13, 9:30 p.m. — “50 First Dates”
  • Feb. 14, 6 p.m. — “50 First Dates” followed by “The Wedding Singer”
To purchase tickets, visit this page. 

Faculty and Staff

Vaccination Guidance from HR
The UM Department of Human Resources provided the following guidance for employees receiving off-site vaccinations:
  • All employees are encouraged to receive vaccinations as determined by the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) and their medical provider. When available, Employee Health and/or the School of Pharmacy notifies the campus of the timeframe(s) for having a vaccine administered. The university will provide either on-site access to the vaccines or a list of locations to assist employees in receiving vaccines on their own.
  • When the cost of the vaccine is not covered either by Employee Health or School of Pharmacy or if the vaccine is received off campus at another location, vaccinations should be run through employees’ health insurance where applicable and otherwise be submitted for reimbursement.
  • All employees will be paid for time taken to receive vaccinations administered on campus. For off-site vaccinations, employees are to work with their managers to schedule an appropriate time that is least disruptive to the work day.  Up to two hours of administrative leave is available for non-exempt/hourly employees receiving the vaccine offsite when it cannot be scheduled before or after work or during a lunch break.
For more information, visit the HR website or email hr@olemiss.edu with any questions regarding this guidance.
 
Community Engagement Faculty “Lunch and Learn”
Register to attend a Lunch and Learn on Feb. 18 at 12 noon via Zoom about the Institute for Child Nutrition and the power of community engagement in advancing research, learning, and community well-being. The Community Engagement Faculty Lunch & Learn Series is brought to you by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), the Community First Research Center for Wellbeing & Creative Achievement (UM CREW), and the Office of Community Engagement (OCE). For more information, contact OCE. 

Other Things to Know

CDC news and resources
 
Mississippi news and resource
 
National news stories and other resources
 
On the lighter side
 
Quick links