University Council Meeting Recap - November 7th, 2021
Central Student Government's University Council met on Sunday, November 7th. A summary of the recap has been provided below. A full recap can also be found here.
Pressing Updates (CSG - Carla Voigt)
Student selection for provost selection committee, need a very quick turnaround; sent in GroupMe, send to students to complete by Tuesday night (11/9)
Dr. Ernst Visit
Problems with COVID testing through UHS:
2 primary sources for getting tested as a student:
CTSP (asymptomatic), 24-36 hour turnaround
UHS PCR-based testing with Michigan Medicine; capacity backup to CTSP, traditional nasal swab, 2 hour turnaround, can only run 16 tests at a time before sending tests to hospital to speed up process which makes turnaround time 18-24 hours
Max capacity of 225 tests per day
Saw a decline in test demand similar with decline in positivity rate
Access to testing is strictly still by-appointment
Started October with 20% booked, has climbed to 80%
Why would not everyone just get tested at CTSP?
Dangers of placing everyone in a space where people are symptomatic
Glitch in system with being charged for UHS test, was assessed and removed
Has the demand for COVID attention at UHS taken away from the quality of other care offered?
Multiple preventative practices were pushed out until October due to high demands from COVID
New approach of testing for COVID and Flu which is taking a drain on resources
Preventative care, sports med, mental health are the current shortcomings of UHS
Change in Masking Mandate Policies
Started with 75% universal vaccination rate
Through fall lived experience, 97% feels like herd immunity
When the combination of community cases fall below a threshold, the policy will be reconsidered, not expected to happen anytime soon
Does UHS have the capacity to perform rapid antigen tests?
No, downside is its sensitivity
What is the possibility for vaccine clinics to offer flu shots?
The capacity is available in the community, but lack of trained individuals are lacking in order to distribute
Campus is not currently seeing a flu season but a flu outbreak due to the recent travel from fall break, which is also translating to a higher COVID case rate
Who is making the health decisions at U-M?
Michigan medicine is not the health decision-making body at U-M
Executive Officers of the University create the policy
UHS shares campus covid response