COVID Alert PA App: Week of October 2nd, 2020

Students, Faculty, Residents, Staff, Alumni, Board Members and Friends,

Good morning from our Elkins Park campus where the trees are starting to turn colors and it’s really starting to look like fall outside. There’s been lots of activity on campus this week and even last weekend as students began to learn new clinical skills in all of our professions. It brought back painful memories watching our optometry students learn retinoscopy using schematic eyes as well as thoughts of how technology has really changed over the years to help augment that. It was much more fun to watch our OT students meander around the building with wheelchairs and other mobility devices! So, here’s what’s happening:

COVID ALERT PA APP: The State of Pennsylvania just released a new app, COVID Alert PA, that will use Bluetooth technology to alert a person when they have come in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus. You just need to go to the Google Play Store or Apple App Store to get it. The app runs on iPhones that support iOS 13.5 and higher, and Android phones running Android 6.0 and higher. According to the PA Website, users can help fight COVID-19 by opting to tell the Department of Health, through the app, how you are feeling daily and whether you have any COVID-19 symptoms. If you do have symptoms, the app will give you information on what to do. This tool helps you track your own symptoms within the app, and you’ll get public health information based on your responses. The app also can provide timely alerts if you’ve had a potential exposure to someone who tested positive for the virus. I’ve already downloaded as have everyone living in our house. I strongly encourage all of you to sign on. To learn more about this go here.

STRESS MANAGEMENT SUPPORT GROUP: Salus alumni, Olivia Cheng, MSOT '18, and current Salus Occupational Therapy (OT) students, Gina Inglese, '20OT, and Elisabeth Van Horn, '20OT, set out to help their fellow healthcare workers by creating a stress management support group to help during this uncertain time. You can check out their podcast here.

NEW DAY IN THE LIFE SERIES: Check out our “Day in the Life” series featuring second-year OT student Kristen Hasse, '21OT. Read more here. Also, our “I Chose Salus” series this week features Optometry student Stephen Shalamanda, '24OD. Read more about that here.

PEI AND SLI PODCAST: Lindsay Bondurant, PhD, CCC-A, director of the Pennsylvania Ear Institute (PEI) and Bob Serianni, MS, CCC-SLP, FNAP, chair of the Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) department, did a 30-minute podcast during the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s (PCOM) Virtual Wellness Fair Sept. 26. Dr. Bondurant spoke about the services provided by PEI and the role of audiologists. Bob gave an overview of services provided by the Speech-Language Institute (SLI). The session was live and included questions from attendees.

InfantSEE LAUNCH: Launched in 2005, InfantSEE, a public health program managed by Optometry Cares — The American Optometric Association’s Foundation — is celebrating 15 years of service, providing assessments to more than 150,000 infants. InfantSEE optometrists provide comprehensive infant eye assessments between six and 12-months of age free of charge regardless of family income or access to insurance coverage. The Eye Institute (TEI) at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) at Salus University is proud to be a participating provider of this national program.

SALUS CUP COMPETITION: The Hafter Center has updated its annual Salus Cup to accommodate the current situation. Teams are comprised of classmates within their respective academic programs. Faculty, staff and residents are on an additional team together. Ways to receive and lose points during the Salus Cup: 

• Make a reservation for a workout block (+1)
• Attend your workout block reservation (+1)
• Sign up via PTMinder for a livestream class (+1)
• Participate in a livestream class (+1)
• Miss your reserved workout block time without canceling (-1)

Points will be added up at the end of each week and the team with the most points at the end of the week will receive one Salus Cup point. The team with the most Salus Cup points at the end of October wins. For clarification or more information, contact the Hafter centers trainers.

VOTING: The right to vote is the cornerstone of our American democracy. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and as we read about potential disruptions to the voting process, it is imperative that you plan ahead. If you’re planning to vote by mail, these are the steps to vote by mail in Pennsylvania:

1. Request your mail-in ballot with a mail ballot application.
2. Fill out the application completely.
3. Submit the request to your local election office. You should request your ballot as far in advance of the election as possible. The deadline to request a ballot by mail is (received by) Tuesday, October 27, 2020.
4. When your ballot arrives, read it carefully and follow the instructions to complete it and return it.

If you do decide to vote in person, please ensure you know the location and times your polling place will be open. You can find that by accessing the PA voter website here.

FLU SHOTS: If you haven’t already gotten your flu shots, it’s not too late. I strongly encourage all of you to get your flu shots, especially this year. We’ve been working with Temple Health to ensure it’s as easy as possible. This will be a drive-through event that will be staged in the parking area closest to Township Line Road. The next dates the flu shots will be available on campus are as follows:

• 10/9: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
• 10/16: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.
• 10/23: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Please dial 215-517-5000 option 1. Any staff member can take your information over the phone to register you, but we were told that you should ask for Korliy and Kaila.

FINAL THOUGHTS: As the nicer fall weather becomes more inviting to do things outdoors, it’s imperative we all remember we’re in the midst of a pandemic. While it’s clearly safer to do things outdoors, it’s still extremely important to practice social distancing and wear a cloth face mask when around others, yes, even outdoors, if you cannot maintain a safe distance of at least six feet. As the weather gets colder, things will begin to move indoors, which presents even more risk of airborne exposure to the virus. If you do decide to venture into a restaurant or other eating establishment, please ensure that it is well-ventilated and there is ample distance between you and the other patrons. A recent CDC MMWR (Morbidity, Mortality Weekly Report) study found that for new COVID-19 positive patients over 18 years old, 42% of them reported dining at a restaurant, including indoor, patio and outdoor seating. It’s not too much of a stretch to assume that indoor venues present a greater risk than outdoor venues, simply due to diminished ventilation. Either way, it appears we assume a greater risk participating in these types of events. According to the CDC risk stratification, the more an individual interacts with others, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread. The risk of COVID-19 spread increases in a restaurant or bar setting as follows:

• Lowest Risk: Food service limited to drive-thru, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick-up.
• More Risk: Drive-thru, delivery, take-out, and curb-side pick-up emphasized. On-site dining limited to outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Even More Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity reduced to allow tables to be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Highest Risk: On-site dining with both indoor and outdoor seating. Seating capacity not reduced and tables not spaced at least 6 feet apart.

I’m not suggesting you don’t go out and enjoy yourselves – but if you do, please be aware of the risks involved and do everything you can to mitigate those risks. Finally, the weekend looks to be nice so do get out and enjoy yourselves. Continue to social distance, wear a cloth face mask when around others and wash your hands frequently. Also, please remember that what you do off campus will directly affect all of us on campus.

Be safe, have some fun, be responsible and remain SALUS STRONG!

Mike