James Lawler, MD, director of international programs and innovation at the Global Center for Health Security at UNMC, and Angela Hewlett, MD, medical director of the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit at UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, will discuss the recent surge in the Delta variant of COVID-19, guidance on staying safe and the myths surrounding the virus and vaccine at the Aug. 30 Science Café.
To ensure social distancing, the virtual Science Café will be offered via Facebook Live and begin at 2 p.m. Viewers do not need a Facebook account to view the livestream.
"We want to dispel those myths about COVID-19 and the vaccine that are circulating and influencing people to either not believe the virus is that dangerous or that are keeping them from getting vaccinated," Dr. Lawler said.
"Vaccination is the most powerful tool we currently have available to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19," Dr. Hewlett said. "The Delta variant is spreading through our community and is highly transmissible. Hospitalizations are increasing, and the vast majority of COVID patients who are hospitalized are unvaccinated.
"Some of these patients are young and otherwise healthy but are developing severe and even life-threatening disease," she said. "The vaccines continue to provide a high degree of protection from severe disease, hospitalization and death so the importance of vaccination cannot be emphasized enough."
Science Cafés involve a face-to-face conversation with an expert about current science topics. Each meeting is organized around an interesting topic of conversation. Experts give a brief presentation followed by a Q&A period.
I live in Papillion close to Papillion Lavista high school on 84th and Centennial. There are students across the street from the school on Centennial protesting that they are being forced to wear masks and it is their choice. I am a nurse and I stopped briefly to talk with the students and initiate a conversation. That did not happen because of the location and traffic. So I called the principal and suggested that something like a Science Cafe be done in the school. I think scientific and real world information coming from NE Medicine is so important especially for our students, and from real, live experts like you who are currently treating them when they are sick. I suggested that in my VM. to the principal, that they consider bringing someone in to present the information and data regarding protections from masks. I offered to help set something up if they are willing. Would something like this be possible? Perhaps a science cafe that is promoted for students and promoted in the media. Thank you Kathy Gast RN and a proud former UNMC nurse and staff trainer on 7 Psyc .
Groups and organizations can submit a speaker's bureau request through the Strategic Communications department.
https://www.unmc.edu/strategic-communications/events/requestspeaker.html