UC San Diego is making plans for a safe and gradual return to full campus operations this fall. To ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of everyone in our campus community, decisions will continue to be guided by the science, data and modeling that made the Return to Learn program a success.
New UC San Diego biologist Fabian Rivera-Chávez joined the university in the midst of a global pandemic as the world struggled to work its way out of COVID-19 devastation. He’s now working to communicate the safety and life-saving importance of COVID-19 vaccination in underserved communities.
On Feb. 22, UC San Diego brought together a panel of industry experts and esteemed faculty for a unique and thought-provoking event, “The Fear Factor: Examining Mistrust and Vaccines.” Over 1,200 campus and community members registered to participate in the interactive webinar.
Nearly one year ago, on March 13, 2020, San Diego County issued a two-week stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gravity of the situation was growing quickly. Within nine months, the first vaccines were offered, an incredibly quick timeline for vaccine development.
In November 2020, a new variant of COVID-19 was identified in the United Kingdom (B1.1.7). In December 2020, it was announced another variant had been uncovered in South Africa (B1.351). Yet another emerged in January in Brazil, known as P.1. A virus can mutate when it copies itself as it spreads.
In November 2020, Lucira Health received emergency use authorization for the first rapid at-home COVID-19 testfrom the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Erik Engelson, a UC San Diego bioengineering and microbiology alumnus, is president and CEO of Lucira Health, which was founded by a UC Berkeley bioengineering alumni.
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