Virus Control Center

[Dot Liljenquist]

TheCOVID-19 emergency poses a great challenge to clinicians working on the frontline who, time-strapped, are faced with managing multiple, seriously ill patients while assimilating the constantly changing treatment protocols for the virus. There is a need to better support frontline clinicians to:

A virtual control centre for patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 that will be under the supervision of an expert infectious disease specialist. Via this tool, the expert will receive relevant patient information from electronic health records that will enable them to:

This tool will be the first of its kind in the pandemic to combine both data collection attributes and clinical guidance on how best to work with those data. The anticipated impact is an improvement in patient outcomes, as their clinical needs will be addressed in an informed and timely manner and clinicians who will be supported to tailor their patient care, adjusting treatment plans according to need and predicted outcomes.

KU Leuven (together with University Hospitals Leuven) is a research-intensive, internationally oriented university that carries out excellence-driven research in health and care and is dedicated to build bridges between science, society and industry.

Hospital Clinic of Barcelona (HCB), founded in 1906, is a university hospital with 4,500 professionals covering most of medical and surgical specialties. It belongs to the Catalan Public Hospital Network and it is both a high-complexity tertiary hospital and a community hospital providing services to more than half million citizens. HCB is placed in Spain in a top position in the areas of research and innovation (e.g. top participant in Societal Challenge 1-Health in H2020).

To find trusted sources, look for information from official public health and safety authorities. Visit the CDC Coronavirus page to find many official sources. Check your state and local government or emergency management websites and social media accounts for trusted information specific to your area. On social media, be sure to check for a blue verified badge next to the account name. This tells you it's an official account.

Fraud Alert: We have received reports of scammers reaching out to people offering to register them for funeral assistance. FEMA has not sent any such notifications and we do not contact people prior to them registering for assistance.

Learn More

Having symptoms like fever after you get a vaccine is normal and a sign your immune system is learning to fight the virus. Visit the CDC Coronavirus page to learn more about the facts behind COVID-19 vaccines.

Fact: Rigorous clinical trials have found that the vaccines currently available in the United States are more than 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 and are important tools to stop the pandemic.

Additionally, the COVID-19 vaccines may help protect you from getting severely sick even if you do get COVID-19. The more people who get vaccinated, the closer we get to having most people protected from COVID-19.

Until experts understand more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions, you should continue to follow CDC recommendations on how to protect yourself and others from getting the virus.

Your vaccination card has information on it including your full name, date of birth, where and when you got your vaccine. When you post it to a social media platform, you may be handing valuable information over to someone who could use it for identity theft.

Fact: Each state determines its own vaccination priority groups and procedures. Community vaccination centers are led by states and may be supported by the federal government, including FEMA.

FEMA and its federal partners have provided critical support in the form of personnel, supplies and/or funding to help establish or expand hundreds of state led community vaccination centers and mobile vaccination centers across the nation.

Fact: Federal agencies and some public and private sector transportation companies are implementing the requirement that people wear masks while traveling or in common areas prior to boarding. Passengers without a mask may be denied entry, boarding, or continued transport. Failure to comply with the mask requirement can result in civil penalties.

Major airlines and municipal transportation companies may have different requirements. Be sure and check before you travel. CDC recommends that people limit travel during the pandemic, and if people do travel, they should wear a mask when doing so. Scientific evidence shows that consistent and universal use of masks on public transportation systems and in transportation hubs will help protect Americans from COVID-19 and help to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

When a box of seemingly "free" merchandise lands at your door, it could mean that scammers have created an account in your name or taken over your account on online retail sites. They may even create new accounts tied to your address. Letting them post lots of seemingly real reviews.

Fact: FEMA did not and will not divert orders of personal protective equipment from our federal, state and local partners, nor do we have the legal authority to do so. In 2020, FEMA coordinated shipments of more than 4.3 million respirators, one million facial/surgical masks, 1.5 million gloves and 14,000 face shields to VA facilities across the country. FEMA and the VA staff have worked closely together during this response, and they are co-located in the National Response Coordination Center. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the VA issued a joint statement regarding these rumors on April 28, 2020.

Fact: In 2020, there were misconceptions that FEMA was seizing medical supplies. FEMA is not seizing or taking personal protective equipment (PPE) from state or local governments, hospitals or anyone lawfully engaged in acquiring or distributing PPE.

If a hospital believes this has happened to them, it should be reported to the governor. If a governor believes that this has happened to their supplies, it should be reported to the FEMA Region. The situations below may also lead to incorrect assumptions of FEMA seizing or taking supplies:

Fact: FEMA is not diverting COVID-19 funds towards climate change. On January 26, 2020 FEMA announced nearly $1 billion in funds to support the ongoing fight against COVID-19. These funds will be used to support vaccination efforts at the state and local level. A news story on the same day conflated the use of the Disaster Relief Fund for COVID-19 response with the use of the fund for a grant program titled Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC). The BRIC program was announced in August 2020 and provides $500 million for mitigation efforts throughout the nation.

Fact: The 2020 CARES Act provided unemployment benefits for citizens during the pandemic. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 authorized additional payments of up to $600 per adult and up to $600 for each qualifying child.

Additionally, since FEMA enacted the Lost Wages program in August 2020, billions have been provided to states to assist with their unemployment claims. FEMA funding allows states to provide at least an additional $300 per week to people who lost work due to COVID-19 through their unemployment insurance programs. However, no federal assistance was given in the form of hazard pay, nor has FEMA directly paid individuals.

Fact: There have been reports that scammers are pretending to be the government, contacting people by robocall, text message, email and other outreach. These scammers say they can get people financial help during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then ask for money or personal information, like your Social Security, bank account or credit card number. This is a SCAM.

Fact: FEMA is only suspending rent for disaster survivors living in FEMA housing in California through May 12, 2021. FEMA contacts survivors who may be eligible for this program. Other sources of financial relief for renters may be available through state and local governments. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development also provides information on housing-related COVID-19 assistance.

Fact: The Department of Defense (DOD) traditionally supports FEMA disaster response through Defense Support to Civil Authorities, which is the process through which U.S. military assets and personnel can assist in missions normally carried out by civilian jurisdictions. Military forces support FEMA disaster response only when state, tribal, or territorial authorities request federal assistance, when all other state, federal, and partner resources are exhausted, and only when the use of military forces is legal, proper, and has no adverse effects on military readiness.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved 1,110 active duty troops on February 5 and an additional 3,610 active duty troops on February 12 FEMA will be partnering with the Department of Defense for additional resources at vaccination centers throughout the country.

Since last year, DOD has supported the COVID-19 response by providing aviation support and help in distributing personal protective equipment from federal stockpiles. DOD also deployed medical teams to support hospital staffs throughout the country.

On January 21, 2021 President Biden directed FEMA to provide reimbursement to states, local, tribal and territorial governments and the District of Columbia for the use of their National Guard at a 100% cost share until September 30.

Additionally, on February 2, 2021 President Biden directed FEMA to retroactively reimburse states for 100% of their costs for eligible emergency protective measures including masks, gloves, emergency feeding actions, sheltering at risk populations and mobilization of the National Guard.

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