The Graduate Division received over 300 questions (via Zoom chat) at the Town Hall on Graduate Students, Postdocs, and Plans for Basic Science Research Recovery on May 7. This Q&A reflects the key concerns attendees raised. In some cases, the answers below have been augmented since the live event to provide you with the most useful, current information, we could find in these categories:
Transportation/Child Care Safety/Security Working in a Lab PPE, Testing, Screening
Be sure to read the complete Guidance for Onsite Laboratory Research Activities, issued May 13, watch the latest research town hall, and keep up with all the latest developments through the Office of Research.
Transportation and Child Care
1. Will there continue to be free or discounted parking at UCSF sites? Will there be enough parking?
2. Will campus shuttles increase in frequency? What is being done to keep people safe on the shuttles?
3. Will we be permitted to take public transportation and under what conditions/stipulations?
4. Are there resources for trainees with caregiving responsibilities (children, elders, and other dependents)?
Safety and Security
1. Has the University been investigating the HVAC system/air circulation, and are there concerns that SARS-CoV-2 could circulate there?
2. What is being done to ensure that high-touch surfaces and shared spaces are disinfected regularly? Should we wear gloves in addition to masks?
3. Will limits be placed on the number of people allowed in common spaces (e.g. elevators, bathrooms, etc.)?
4. One of the panelists mentioned that health screenings will be required at building entrances. Will this happen 24/7 in light of the potential for shift work?
5. What steps are being taken to improve perimeter security and safety, particularly for those who work late or on weekends?
Working in the Lab
Please review thoroughly the Guidance for Onsite Laboratory Research Activities, with special attention to the "1:8 rule of thumb," relating to how many people may be in the lab.
1. Will new students be permitted to do wet-lab rotations in September? Under what conditions?
2. Some experiments, including training on new techniques, necessitate that two or more people work in close proximity. Is there guidance for how individuals can work closely with appropriate PPE?
3. Will exceptions to the density policy continue to be made for COVID-19 related research? What about labs where some people are working on COVID but others are not?
4. How about people doing computer work on their own in a separate office?
5. Has there been discussion with LARC about restarting mouse experiments? If we are able to abide by the social distancing rules, are we going to be able to start new experiments? Are we going to get more details specifically for research using animals?
6. May we use the core facilities during this time? (e.g. microscopy cores, flow cores, etc.)
7. How will these guidelines be enforced?
8. How will violations of the one-person-per-eight-benches and other rules be handled? How will UCSF handle people who feel these precautions are insufficient but feel they need go to work?
9. What would trigger a need to "go backwards" and reduce access to campus again?
PPE, Testing, and Screening
The Office of Research worked closely with Environmental Health and Safety, to ensure that appropriate protections are in place to protect trainees from both exposure to COVID-19 and the hazards of the lab.
1. When do I need to wear a mask? What kind should I wear?
2. Will UCSF provide masks?
3. Will UCSF provide other PPE?
4. Is there a specific testing and tracing plan for UCSF employees?
5. May we use lab equipment like qPCR machines and reagents to test ourselves for the presence of viral RNA?
6. As students and postdocs how can we get tested if we think we have COVID symptoms?
7. What is the plan if someone in a lab tests positive?
If you missed the May 7 Town Hall from which these questions were drawn, you can still watch a recording online.