ALL STUDENTS, ACADEMICS AND STAFF AT UC SAN DIEGO (Including UC San Diego Health)
COVID-19 and Omicron Variant Update
Northern tier states in our country have seen a surge in the number of COVID-19 cases in the past month. The increase in cases is consistent with scientists’ predictions as the nation spends more time indoors due to colder weather, and friends and family travel and gather in close quarters to celebrate traditional Fall holidays. COVID-19 cases for fully vaccinated individuals continue to be mild. The overwhelming majority of intensive care cases at hospitals are found in unvaccinated individuals.
While cases have not increased significantly in San Diego County or on our campus, they are expected to trend upward due to Fall Break travel. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated students and employees who traveled over Fall Break should test as soon as possible.
Omicron Variant The World Health Organization recently announced the emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern, named Omicron. Today, scientists at UC San Francisco identified the first-known case of COVID-19 attributed to the Omicron variant in the United States. The San Francisco Bay area patient had recently returned from an international location where the Omicron variant was previously detected. While there are no known cases caused by the Omicron variant in San Diego County at this time, epidemiologists fully expect to see Omicron appear in San Diego soon.
UC San Diego’s expert epidemiologists and UC San Diego Health’s physician scientists are keeping a close watch on developments with the new variant and will advise if changes in our campus, hospital and clinical safety procedures are warranted.
Our immediate goal is to ramp up vaccinations and boosters as vigorously as possible. Since COVID-19 vaccines require five to six weeks to become fully effective, time is of the essence. Once Omicron arrives in San Diego, it will spread quickly. People who have not been vaccinated or who are due for boosters must act quickly. Do not wait for an Omicron-specific vaccine or booster.
Getting vaccinated and boosted now reduces the risks of getting infected, of transmitting disease, of having severe disease complications if you become infected, and of creating new virus variants.
Get Vaccinated and Boosted Appointments for Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine boosters are now available for all eligible students and campus and health employees at the Price Center on campus and at drive-up locations at our La Jolla and Hillcrest Medical Centers.
To qualify for a COVID-19 vaccine booster, it must be six months or more since you completed your two-dose regimen of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or two months or more since you completed your one-dose regimen of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Stay Vigilant The winter case surge and the advent of the Omicron variant reminds us that we need to stay vigilant in our day-to-day activities. Complete the daily symptom self-screening and follow all safety requirements. Unvaccinated individuals should test twice weekly. Vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals should test whenever they have symptoms compatible with SARS CoV-2 infection and when there are positive wastewater signals in buildings where they have used the restroom. Check the Potential Exposure Locations chart on the COVID-19 Daily Dashboard for the most up-to-date information.
Masking Reminder The campus policy for face coverings allows fully vaccinated students and employees to remove masks while actively eating or drinking at workstations, in employee break rooms or at campus eateries. Unvaccinated students and employees must continue to eat either alone in a closed office or closed room, or physically distanced from others outdoors or at a campus eatery.
Thank you We will continue to review campus protocols and adapt them based on our evolving understanding of the science and its implications. Any changes to campus safety protocols will be made thoughtfully, and guided by a commitment to the health and well-being of our community.
Our campus has been one of the safest places to be throughout this pandemic. We have consistently demonstrated our ability to successfully deliver on our mission of education, research, patient care and service to our community.
We are confident in our ability to be nimble as we continue to navigate COVID-19 impacts. Our flexibility, resilience and optimism will continue to define us as Tritons.
Pradeep K. Khosla Chancellor
Patricia S. Maysent Chief Executive Officer for UC San Diego Health
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093
