August 27, 2021
On Aug. 27, Dr. Steve Goldstein moderated an OC Forum community outreach panel on the Delta variant featuring experts from UCI Health and the UCI Susan & Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences. The goal of this forum was to provide the community, especially Orange County’s business and education leaders and parents of school-age children, with the most current information on the variant and its implications for safely returning to school and work this fall.
At UCI, we take it as our collective responsibility to offer Orange County timely, accurate information to lessen the ill effects of the pandemic on our great county. That is why we partnered with the OC Forum to make this event free of charge to ensure our community would have access to this vital information. In the two sessions, health experts and educational professionals from UCI and Orange County had a lively discussion on the impact of the Delta variant on Orange County and our children and highlighted how we are working together across the county to forge the path forward. The UCI experts that shared the stage with me included:
| • | Dean Bernadette Boden-Albala, Director and Founding Dean, Program in Public Health, UCI COHS |
| • | Dr. Dan Cooper, Associate Vice Chancellor for Clinical and Translational Science, UCI COHS |
| • | Dr. Shruti K. Gohil, Associate Medical Director, Epidemiology & Infection Prevention, UCI Health |
We were also joined by two individuals supporting Orange County’s health and education efforts:
| • | Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, Deputy Health Officer, the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA) |
| • | Pamela Kahn, County Superintendent of Schools, OC Department of Education |
Segment 1 – All About Delta
| • | The Delta is aggressive – this underscores the need to vaccinate and be vigilant by masking, distancing, handwashing and favoring outdoor activities. |
| • | Making community health a priority – when we support community health, our families, our children and friends all benefit. |
| • | Masks and a focus by Orange County on prioritizing vaccination. The OC Health Care Agency is focused on empowering residents with information, so they decide to be immunized and wear masks. |
Segment 2 – Back to School
| • | The benefits of school – the mental, physical and social health of our children, as well as the ability of parents to return to work, lead pediatricians nationwide to support returning to school safely. Indeed, school teaches children how to be safe in the many hours each day they are not in school. |
| • | Parents united keep children healthy – masking, handwashing and distancing is safe for children and effective. Delta is not more transmissible through masks. Parents need to assess their children and if they have symptoms, keep them home and get them tested for COVID-19. |
| • | For more information and guidance for OC schools, parents can log onto CA Safe Schools for All. |
You can view the forum recording here.
Category: In the Community