Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) COVID-19 Updates

• UPDATES

  Find the updates sent to the Faculty community as well as those posted on the IDM website.

  FACULTY COMMUNICATIONS 

  IDM COVID-19 UPDATES is a web resource page with links to  information and valuable tips from reliable sources, for the community of the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine.

• EVENTS

  Source information on events taking place in the Faculty, including a CALENDAR and RECORDINGS of COVID-19 events

  WEBINARS/WORKSHOPS

  • Weekly COVID-19 clinician-based webinar

  Weekly COVID-19 clinician-based virtual meetings on the ECHO ZOOM platform, featuring both international and national clinicians and researchers. These weekly meetings are chaired by Prof Meintjes, together with a panel of infectious disease specialists, respiratory physicians and critical care specialists. The recordings are made available each week on this site within 3 days of the meeting having been held.

  CALENDER

  View our calendar to see upcoming events

• RESEARCH

  Find important information for the Faculty research community during COVID-19:

  The FHS is committed to the safety of both staff and students in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mindful of the disruption throughout these past weeks due to the response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, Faculty has endeavoured to establish guidelines for a new way of working in our research context.

  HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH INFORMATION TASK TEAM

  The Health Sciences Research Information Task Team was created in response to the pandemic, to meet the proliferation of needs with respect to research-related information in the Faculty at this time.

  UCT FHS APPROACH TO RESEARCH IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

  The task team developed a UCT FHS approach to research in the time of COVID-19. 

  COVID-19 RESEARCH

  Scientists from the Faculty are also working in collaboration with colleagues based at UCT as well as in partnering institutions, to develop and conduct research in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A summary of this research is available.

  HUMAN RESEARCH ETHICS 

  The Human Research Ethics Committee appointed to oversee the safety, rights and welfare of human participants in research has developed guiding documentation regarding COVID-19. This is available under the “WHAT’S NEW?” tab.

  FACULTY NOTICES

  • 18 April 2020 - UCT FHS approach to research in the time of COVID-19
  • 26 March 2020 - FHS Animal Ethics Committee in response to COVID-19 and subsequent lockdown period
  • 24 March 2020 - Faculty of Health Sciences Research Ethics Office: remote administrative support
  • 18 March 2020 - FHS Update: COVID-19: clarification on meeting with self-funded international Registrars
  • 17 March 2020 - COVID-19: FHS Human Research Ethics Committee Recommendations for Research Studies & Research Sites Involving Humans
  • 17 March 2020 - Update on COVID-19 for Research Community

• UCT RETURN TO WORK POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

  • COVID-19 ‘National Lock Down’ Return to UCT Policy Framework - Risk Adjusted Guide
  • UCT Return to Campus Processes
  • COVID-19 Positive Reporting Form
  • Campus Cleaning Services FAQs
  • New personal Health Risk Assessment process
  • UCT health and safety protocols and procedures for the phased return to campus

• TEACHING AND LEARNING

  Find important information and documentation related to TEACHING and LEARNING during COVID 19

  TEACHERS

  Remote Teaching and Learning Resources 2020

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  UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

  • 13 May 2020 -  Communique to students
  • 8 May 2020 - Remote Teaching Update
  • 24 April 2020 - Remote Teaching Update
  • 22 April 2020 - Update on student engagement on teaching and learning during COVID-19
  • 17 April 2020 - Remote Teaching Update
  • 27 March 2020 - Undergraduate teaching and learning in Health Sciences

  POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

  • 19 March 2020 - Guidelines for Postgraduate (PG) Students and Post Doctoral Research Fellows (PDRF) in FHS regarding COVID-19 pandemic

• OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY AND BIOSAFETY

  Find information related to HEALTH and SAFETY precautions for working in different environments in the Faculty during COVID-19

  CONTACTS

  • Key Operational Support Services for FHS during COVID-19
  • COVID-19 Pandemic: National Call Centres and Hotlines
  • FHS OHS Committee Contact Details

  COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES 

  • COVID-19 Reporting form (PDF Format)(Word Format)
  • COVID-19 Reporting and Response Processes
  • Incident Action Plan: Actions Post COVID Exposure or Illness in the Workplace
  • DOH: Guidelines on Submission of COVID-19 related Health Data from Workplaces to the National DOH

  PREVENTING AND MANAGING INFECTION

  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: Occupational Health and Safety Protection and Management of Staff, Students and Visitors in relation to the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • UCT: Infographic: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • DOH: COVID-19 Disease: Infection Prevention and Control Guidelines
  • WCG DOH: Circular H70 of 2020: Preventing and managing Coronavirus infection in the workplace 
  • Government Gazette, Vol. 660, 4 June 2020, No. 43400
  • FHS Poster: Bathroom Do’s and Don’ts
  • FHS Poster: Kitchen Do’s and Don’ts
  • UCT: How to set up an isolation room
  • UCT: Guide to Setting up an Isolation Room

  SCREENING

  • FHS: COVID-19 Campus Pre-Screening Process

  PPE

  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) use for ALL staff and Students.
  • FHS: Personal Protective Equipment Controller - Letter of Appointment
  • FHS: issuing and inspection register for the PPE issued during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • UCT: UCT Central Process - Ordering PPE stock via the online form.
  • WCG DOH: Guidelines for PPE use during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), 25 March 2020
  • WCG DOH: Best practice guidelines for the use of cloth masks only in non-healthcare settings  

  CLEANING AND DISINFECTION

  • WHO: Cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces in the context of COVID-19 
  • UCT: Campus Cleaning Services FAQs Poster

  POSSIBLE INFECTION OR EXPOSURE 

  • UCT: COVID-19 Symptoms or Positive Test Reporting
  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: Possible Coronavirus Infection or Exposure for ALL staff and Students.
  • WHO: Risk assessment and management of exposure of health care workers in the context of COVID-19
  • UCT Occupational Health Unit: Compensation for Occupationally Acquired Novel Corona Virus disease (COVID-19)
  • UCT Occupational Health Unit: Workplace guidelines – Managing an on-premises symptomatic case of suspected COVID-19
  • DOH: Guidelines for quarantine and isolation in relation to COVID-19 exposure and infection
  • DOH: 10 day isolation
  • DOH: Circular H174 of 2020 - COVID-19 isolation and quarantine time periods

  RESEARCH

  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: Infection Control Guidelines for Laboratory Workers
  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: BCL Medical waste management

  BIOSAFETY

  • FHS: Biosafety Guidelines for Research on COVID-19 and SARS-COV-2
  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: Handling and Receiving Hazardous Substances Waste in the Hazardous Waste Holding Facility

  TEACHING

  • FHS COVID-19 Related SOP: Teaching Venues during Covid-19 Pandemic
  • FHS: Computer Lab Protocols & Usuage Steps

  VENTILATION AND CAPACITY ASSESSMENT FOR DEPARTMENTAL SPACES

  • Guideline
  • Venue Assessment Tool Training
  • Venue Rating Scorecard

• HUMAN RESOURCES

  Find important information on HR policy and processes during COVID-19:

  • Lockdown Electronic Process

  Faculty updates

  • 20 March 2020 - HR Client Services (FHS HUB) Contingency Plan

• MEDIA RESOURCES

  These relate to the valuable information-related outputs of the Faculty during COVID-19 

  Faculty updates

  • 7 April 2020 - Sharing amazing work being done by our staff and students in responding to COVID-19
  • 3 April 2020 - Guidelines for engaging with external media and social media during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • 28 March 2020 - Social media etiquette for health professionals
  • 28 March 2020 - Faculty Response: WhatsApp Voice Notes on COVID-19 

  MULTIMEDIA PRODUCTS

  Educational material including videos, interviews and other health promotion products 

  VIDEOS

  These educational videos were produced by the Department of Medicine

  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Introduction, do's and don'ts
  • Flattening the curve
  • Mask Safety

  POSTERS

  • Knowledge Translation Unit’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Page.

   

  NEWS FROM UCT

   

  COVERAGE BY EXTERNAL MEDIA

  27 May 2020 - Guidelines for engaging with external media and social media during the COVID-19 pandemic

  Date	Source	Article
  21 May 2020	Daily Marverick	Unravelling the riddle of the Western Cape’s high Covid-19 numbers
  20 May 2020	The Citizen	Testing glitches and ‘skewed results’ threaten level 3
  19 May 2020	Media 24	Covid-19: Call to reduce 'unnecessary' screening and testing in SA - and to target areas of concern
  17 May 2020	Media 24	Experts call for streamlining and rationalising of testing
  16 May 2020	Media 24	Covid-19: Some health experts critical of lockdown regulations
  14 May 2020	Reuters	Walk-through sanitising booth sprays South African commuters

• UCT SITE

  • UCT has created a Coronavirus Disease 2019 updates page which offers a range of relevant information.
     
  • FAQ's
    • New information relating to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Africa is being made available on an almost hourly basis via various news and social media channels. The University of Cape Town (UCT) is also providing its communities with the latest information, which is being loaded daily onto the university’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 webpage. Some of the responses below are dated to indicate when last the information was updated.For more information specific to research, please refer to the COVID-19 FAQs for researchers and for postgraduates.
    • The Department of Health has FAQs, helpful hotlines, and other tips.

Videos