Chip Wade was making lunch at his home in Oxford when his wife, who was swiffering the floor, asked him to get her another filter for the mop. At that moment, something clicked.
Understanding that there is a national shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect healthcare professionals from COVID-19, Wade thought, “Why can’t we use this same technology – a reusable device with an interchangeable filtration system – in the masks used by nurses and doctors on the front lines of this crisis?”
Resources for students during the pandemic
Health
The Student Health Center will continue operating for urgent care and sick visits only. Students should call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Food Security
Grab-n-Go bags of food are available while supplies last outside of the food bank entrance at 213 Kinard Hall.
Volunteers at The Pantry will bring items to cars on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9-11 a.m. The Pantry is located at 713 Molly Barr Rd.
UMatter, a university program for the university community, supports students in many ways beyond this list. Visit their website for more information.
The university announced Friday morning that it would refund students who paid for university housing, meal plans or parking fees in the spring semester.
There will be no refund for tuition, nonresident fees or activity fees, because of guidance from the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL).
“Each eligible student will receive a prorated refund to their Bursar account,” the statement from the chancellor said. “If the student has a current outstanding balance, the refund will be applied to that balance.”
The refunds will reimburse students for expenses from March 16 to May 10. If institutional scholarships were used to pay for the expenses, though, a refund will not be granted.
The announcement was made after the IHL voted to approve the refunds.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The state Health Department said 72% of Mississippi residents who have died of COVID-19 were black and 28% were white.
Joshua Mannery knew he wanted to be the Associated Student Body president since the moment he stepped foot on the University of Mississippi campus, and on Tuesday evening, he succeeded. With a voter turnout of 3,130 students, Mannery won 54% of the student vote in the first campus election to be held entirely online.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that hospitals in the state have about 3,000 beds, and projections show that almost 400 more beds will be needed when the state reaches its peak of the coronavirus outbreak in the next few weeks.
“All community members should stay at home except to perform essential duties for business continuity or government functions, to get food, care for a relative or friend, get necessary health care,or perform activities related to maintaining a healthy lifestyle during this time,” a statement from the city said.
“Well-intentioned consolations that many others are in the same situation as me offer little comfort,” writes opinion editor Katie Dames. “We’re all in the same boat, but is it any more reassuring when that boat is sinking fast?”
In an effort to mitigate economic pain from the COVID-19 pandemic, the president recently signed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package that promised $1,200 to U.S. adults for themselves and $500 for each child they have. Few people have noticed, though, that the stimulus bill has a gap in the relief that will leave out most high school seniors, adults with disabilities and college students.
Keep in mind that these are truly unprecedented conditions. With your professors, with your food delivery workers, with your healthcare workers, with your friends and, above all, with yourself: be patient, be forgiving, and be kind.
