Reminders from UIC contact tracing

UIC COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Epidemiology Program reminds the UIC community that social gatherings create opportunities for COVID-19 transmission. When individuals are around others they trust, they are more likely to be unmasked and not socially distanced. As both the city and our campus have relaxed their COVID-19 restrictions, particularly around masking, this scenario has become increasingly common.

Recently, our team has investigated numerous cases linked through off-campus social gatherings and large, crowded events where attendees were largely unmasked and consumed food and drinks. In the past month, three different clusters have arisen on campus, resulting in over 60 reported cases and well over 100 exposed campus members.

As we near the end of the academic year and look forward to the summer months, we would like to take the time to remind you of the following:

• Vaccination and Boosting: If you are eligible for the booster vaccine, we strongly recommend that you schedule it now. If you have not yet been vaccinated, we encourage you to do so.
  • Staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations is crucial for protecting people from becoming seriously ill, hospitalized, or dying if infected with the virus.
    • One study from the CDC found that a third mRNA vaccine dose was 90% effective in preventing COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in the time when omicron was the dominant strain in the U.S.
    • Another study from the CDC found that the booster vaccination offered as great as 94% protection from death in the omicron period.
  • Boosting is especially important for those who are immunocompromised and are at high-risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

• Masking: Although indoor mask mandates have been lifted in the city and in numerous spaces on UIC’s campus, we encourage you to continue to wear a mask to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, especially when in crowded indoor spaces.
  • Masks that offer optimal protection should be adequately thick, well-fitted, and cover your nose, mouth and chin. Other considerations for maximizing protection include wearing a disposable mask under a cloth mask (double masking). 
  • Masking is especially important for those who are not vaccinated, up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, or at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease.

• Other considerations:
  • If you choose to consume food or beverages at a social gathering, make sure to remain socially distant from others and remove your mask only briefly when consuming food or beverages.
    • Be sure to avoid sharing food, drinks, or utensils.
    • Try serving packaged or pre-portioned snacks and beverages.
  • Gather outdoors as much as possible.
  • Limit unmasked interactions for 10 days prior to gathering to decrease the risk of bringing COVID-19 to a gathering or event.

We recognize the challenges we have all faced this past year, particularly during the surge in cases attributed to the omicron variant. In addition to the changing COVID-19 restrictions, case and positivity rates in Chicago and on campus have remained fairly low for several weeks, leading to participation in an array of gatherings and congregate activities. We recognize it feels great to be able to return to our normal activities and gather more with others.

However, in view of the clusters of cases described above that were connected to an array of group activities on and off campus, and due to the recent rise in case counts in Chicago and on the UIC campus, we advise continued caution. It is also important to remember that gatherings may be attended by individuals at higher risk for severe COVID-19 disease, such as the elderly, immunocompromised, or young and unvaccinated children, so we must work together to ensure those individuals are protected through the precautionary measures listed above.

Please do not forget, that even if you are up to date on your vaccinations, you should not come to campus if you are experiencing COVID-19 like symptoms, no matter how mild. Report to us here, and wait for guidance on whether you can return to campus. It should only take a few hours, at most 24-48 hours.

We thank you all for your continued support and contributions to keeping UIC’s campus safe!