On March 10, the rector of Unicamp, Marcelo Knobel, met with representatives from different sectors of the university community to define an institutional plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The objective was to determine an effective response to this new reality, with recommendations and guidance for the internal community, in line with the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Health. At that time, Brazil recorded 34 confirmed cases of coronavirus and no deaths. In just ten days, however, this number would rise quickly, reaching 621 confirmed cases, with seven deaths, according to a report from the Ministry of Health.
“Our biggest challenge is to keep such a complex system in operation without exposing its members to unnecessary risks”, considers rector Marcelo Knobel. “In this sense, we started an awareness campaign about procedures that help contain the spread of the disease and we took measures to avoid crowds on campus, encouraging remote work”, he points out. “Each person is fundamental in this process, and it is moments like this, of gravity never seen in the history of Unicamp, that make society value and understand our existence”.
Since the first meeting, on March 10th, several measures were taken to reorganize activities on the Campinas, Limeira and Piracicaba campuses. The first of these was the creation of a crisis committee, which began to meet daily to monitor the evolution of the scenario at Unicamp, in Brazil and around the world. Based on this monitoring, and based on scientific data on the evolution of the pandemic, on March 12th the rector announced the suspension of all face-to-face activities on the University's three campuses. Initially, the interruption was established from March 13th to 29th, but on the 16th this period was extended to April 12th.
update: In accordance with Resolution GR 34/2020, of March 22nd, the extension of the period of suspension of in-person activities at Unicamp was extended until April 30th.
Em Collective interview granted on March 13, Knobel explained that the objective was to encourage social isolation as a way of reducing the speed of the spread of the virus to avoid a sudden overload on the entire health system. Furthermore, according to him, the suspension of activities was justified due to factors specific to the institution, which could worsen the spread of the coronavirus, such as the intense movement of people around the campus, the large flow of students and teachers coming from abroad and the holding of of events that favored crowds, one of the main means of transmission.
"Most of the people who come to Unicamp hospitals use the same buses, the same transport, and the people who work or go to the hospital share the same cafeterias", he considered. "It's a very different situation, which involves a wide range of users, of all ages", he explained. "We know it is a drastic decision, but we based our choice on scientific indicators and we prefer to err on the side of overzealousness rather than inaction", he pointed out.
At first, the decision was criticized by sectors of the government and academia, who considered the measure exaggerated and hasty. The following day, however, a statement from the Council of Rectors of São Paulo State Universities (Cruesp) announced that the University of São Paulo (USP) and Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp) would follow Unicamp and suspend face-to-face activities from the 17th of March. Meanwhile, on the 15th, the state government announced the closure of museums, libraries and cultural centers, in addition to determining that all public employees over the age of 60 would start working from home, with the exception of the public security and of health.
The action plan defined by Unicamp emphasized communication, with the creation of a hot site which houses news, institutional measures, guidelines and a question and answer section about coronavirus. The health department provided an email (coronavirus@unicamp.br) and a telephone number (19-35217400) to clarify doubts and provide guidance. At the same time, a daily bulletin began to be published with data on suspected and confirmed cases of patients treated at the Hospital de Clínicas e Centro de Saúde da Comunidade (Cecom).
All this content migrated to the social networks of the University, enhancing the dissemination of information of public interest. In chat held on March 16, for example, with live broadcast on Facebook, Knobel and the advisor to the Executive Board of Health (Deas), Maurício Etchebehere, detailed the rules for the university's operation during the coronavirus pandemic.
With the suspension of in-person classes, Unicamp sought to maintain academic activities through digital teaching technologies, enabling teachers to carry out remote activities. The measurement was determined through the Resolution GR 25/2020. According to the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, Eliana Amaral, teachers have support from the Teaching and Learning Support Space - (EA)² and the Educational Technologies Management Group (GGTE) at Unicamp. The two bodies work to find solutions for the professional development and improvement of university teachers and the development of new methodologies that can explore the potential of digital tools.
"We have a wide variety of teachers, from those who are new to the use of technology to those who are more experienced, who participate in Univesp (Virtual University of the State of São Paulo) activities, so the page is simple and direct", highlights Marco Antonio de Carvalho, GGTE coordinator. He explains that the available digital platforms, mainly the Moodle and Google Classroom systems, allow teachers to create virtual environments for interaction with students, through audio and video channels, record video classes using slides and explanatory screens and publish these content and make it available to students or the general public, as is the case with courses in the form of MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses). On March 20th, the dean of Undergraduate Studies, Eliana Amaral, and the dean of Postgraduate Studies, Nancy Garcia, participated in a chat about adaptations in teaching and research activities, broadcast live on Facebook.
Still in the field of teaching and research, the Cesar Lattes Central Library (BCCL) created a support network with virtual assistance for students, teachers and researchers. On the page of System of Libraries Unicamp contains several guidelines for the university community interested in making use of the service. Between the information services and resources There is access to electronic journals, e-books and electronic textbooks for undergraduate courses. BCCL also provided a Contingency plan with general and user service recommendations for the entire Unicamp Library System.
The Student Housing Program provided a Non-fiction containing guidance on procedures to be adopted by dwellers. The publication highlights the nature of Student Housing activities, which require a high level of awareness about the effects of the new coronavirus pandemic, as it brings together students from all regions of the country and abroad on its premises.
In some sectors, however, the movement gained intensity. This is the case of the health area at Unicamp, which provides assistance exclusively through the SUS to a population of more than 6,5 million people and comprises, among other units, the only highly complex hospital in the Campinas region and one of the few that are reference in the State for combating COVID-19. “Health care activities cannot be interrupted or restricted in any way,” states the rector. “On the contrary, they need to be expanded and intensified to meet the needs of this critical moment.” According to Knobel, Unicamp's health sector will play an even more relevant social role. “It is important that the academic community and society in general recognize the effort and commitment of all the people who, in one way or another, make this mechanism work.”
Among the measures adopted to combat coronavirus in the region, the Hospital de Clínicas (HC) announced the suspension of all elective surgeries from March 23 for a period of 60 days. The hospital is also preparing to open an additional 40 ICU beds with all necessary support for future COVID-19 patients. Urgent and emergency surgeries were maintained, while elective surgeries considered essential began to be evaluated by the teams in agreement with the care coordination. From March 19, outpatient procedures and consultations were also suspended.
The oncology and chemotherapy outpatient clinic, as well as infusion of biological medications and post-operative consultations, will be maintained. Outpatient care considered essential and requiring continuous attention will be evaluated by the sector's teams. The Community Health Center (Cecom) will continue to operate normally and all suspected cases of COVID-19 are being notified, tested and monitored, with appropriate guidance for users.
On another front, research, Unicamp is also developing actions to combat coronavirus. A team from the Laboratory for Studies of Emerging Viruses (LEVE) at the Institute of Biology (IB), in collaboration with other professors from IB, the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) and LNBio, began the process of developing a test for the detection of Covid-19. Using the coronavirus sample from the first infected patient in Brazil, researchers began procedures that aim to speed up local diagnosis and, thus, contribute to controlling the disease.
“If everything works well, we will soon be able to have the first coronavirus detection reaction working in Campinas,” said LEVE coordinator, José Luiz Proença Módena. At this moment, the work consists of consultancy to implement the detection of the virus locally, within Unicamp, as an alternative to support reference laboratories.
“Universities, especially public universities, have a duty to continue their research activities, despite the restrictions that the situation imposes on society as a whole”, says rector Marcelo Knobel. According to him, research represents a huge social investment, which cannot be ignored or minimized.
Unicamp also created a volunteer center to work during the pandemic. Volunteer registration can be done through a link on the website of the Executive Directorate of Human Rights (DEDH). According to professor Dora Kassisse, advisor to the Rector's Office (GR), some volunteers are already working on identifying students who need computer equipment to take subjects remotely, such as tablets, laptops or cell phones. Questionnaires are being created to identify the community's demands or even find out if there are possibilities for loaning equipment.
Unicamp will also lend equipment for non-face-to-face teaching. A bank account has already been created for anyone who wants to help financially those in need and, from March 24th, the University Restaurant will offer meals to employees in essential activities, in addition to students already registered with the Student Support Service (SAE) .
Rector Marcelo Knobel said that it is comforting to see how, in these difficult times, solidarity emerges as a point of support for institutional measures. “This volunteer network will be essential for us to face this difficult time”, he ponders. “We count on everyone’s collaboration.”
