This month’s guest blogger is John J. Foxe, Ph.D., director of the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester.
We are all part of something bigger – a world beyond the walls of our homes, our jobs, and our schools. But every day it is the people who are closest that we wake to see, care for, teach, and protect. For nearly two years the threat of COVID has loomed over our world, our communities, schools, and families. It is imperative that we continue to understand this ever-changing virus, and to keep our most vulnerable as safe as possible.
Our partnership with Mary Cariola is a fundamental component in that. For the past twelve months, this partnership has provided critical information that will help keep our schools safe and open. Researchers from the Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rochester have gotten to know many of you well. More than 280 staff members and nearly 60 students are helping us better protect the Mary Cariola community, and better understand the short and long-term effects of this virus and vaccines – a miracle of science and our best defense against COVID – in a school setting.
This work is making a real difference. I’ll share one example. After the New Year, two staff members enrolled in the study tested positive despite the fact that both were completely asymptomatic. This is precisely what this study is designed to do – recognize when infections are coming into the school, isolate the infection, and mitigate exposure of our kids. The more family and staff we have taking part in this work, the better we can protect everyone who walks through the doors. To date we have administered more than 6,100 PCR tests – fortunately, the vast majority have been negative.
We are dedicated to the health and well-being of your school, your families, and your kids. This work is a part of us, and what we learn from this partnership is a part of something bigger. The National Institutes of Health Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) is funding similar work across the country. Together we are helping create a safer environment for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as medical complexities, and keeping them in school. We are all a part of something bigger.
