Newsletter from the President of Aix-Marseille University to the entire university community.
Wednesday 25 March 2020,
Dear everyone,
At a time when home confinement has been extended in France until 15 April by the Government, and when the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic is forecast for the next few days in our country, I would once again ask you to scrupulously respect the health and social distancing instructions that are essential. The lives of all our fellow citizens in general, and some of us in particular, are at stake.
We are entering a third week of unprecedented university life, both for the 80,000 students at AMU and for all colleagues in the AMU community. I'm counting on all of you to continue our actions in the same positive way that we have collectively done since the beginning of the crisis.
Over the last few days, we have been working hard to help the most isolated among us and those who are experiencing difficulties in their daily lives. I urge you to keep up to date with our latest news, not to hesitate to call on the support services that the university teams are putting in place, and to remain positive and confident, always respecting the most vital instructions.
Take good care of yourself
1. Urgent solidarity actions for carers and emergency teams
An appeal on social networks over the weekend helped to consolidate and extend Aix-Marseille Université's support for the AP-HM, for the benefit of healthcare staff who are on the front line in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. Thanks to around fifty 3D printers in some forty laboratories, training departments and industrial partners, we are able to design simple, effective protective visors bearing the AMU logo. Around a hundred visors can now be made every day. At each site, we are going to bring together the 3D printers used to optimise the production of the visors and their delivery to the hospital. These production sites have been chosen on the basis of the number of printers available and their proximity to the hospitals: https://twitter.com/univamu
Last week, a faculty opened its doors to the Marseille marine fire brigade (BMPM) and the departmental fire and rescue service (SDIS13) so that they could use the practical rooms to prepare 1,600 litres of hydroalcoholic gels, ensuring the health safety of their teams. New requests for new uses have already been received.
Since the beginning of the crisis a fortnight ago, AMU has organised the collection of various items of equipment from numerous research units on all sites (AMU-INSERM-CNRS) and has organised their transfer, after checking the suitability of the equipment, to the healthcare teams at AP-HM. This represents more than 207,900 items of equipment used in care, including more than 21,000 masks and 173,000 pairs of gloves. We cannot list here all the laboratories, components and people involved in these urgent and beneficial actions of solidarity. My sincere and heartfelt thanks go out to them on behalf of our community. In this time of crisis, the strength of the collective must prevail, and everyone, in their heart of hearts, will recognise the value of their solidarity and their contribution to the collective fight, whether through donations, the attention they give to others or the simple and strict observance of health regulations.
2. Aid for single students
The online medico-social questionnaire sent out to all students at the end of last week generated more than 25,000 responses, which AMU teams have assessed and continue to assess in order to provide appropriate assistance. While nearly 3,250 students are confined to Cité U or university residences at Aix-Marseille University, almost 3,000 students asked to be contacted by telephone by a professional from SIUMPPS, CROUS or the BVE-mission handicap, as proposed in the survey. Alongside doctors, psychologists and social workers, "student health relays" will be helping to provide this care over the phone and via teleconsultation.
In addition, last Friday nearly 80 Luminy students confined to their university rooms received a packed lunch and a hygiene kit distributed by an association. We are now in contact with 5 other food aid charities and supermarket chains, with the student unions elected within AMU and, of course, with the CROUS to organise this aid (food + hygiene kit) for students in Aix and Marseille.
If necessary, the SIUMPPS doctors, nurses, relaxation therapists, psychologists and secretary can be contacted by email depending on your campus:
siumpps-stcharles@univ-amu.fr
siumpps-luminy@univ-amu.fr
siumpps-stjerome@univ-amu.fr
siumpps-aix@univ-amu.fr
A new single telephone number is available for the student health service: 04 13 94 27 77
Finally, in collaboration with the Student Vice-Presidency, we are seeking to identify students who lack computer equipment in order to reduce isolation and ensure educational continuity, two major priorities at the moment.
3. Staff support
Keeping in touch and looking after the most isolated colleagues is essential. So, to make sure we don't forget those who may not be connected to their email inbox, yesterday we sent a text message to all staff listing the telephone contacts of the medico-social teams who are available and ready to listen. If you are experiencing difficulties, AMU professionals can be contacted Monday to Friday, from 8am to 6pm.
Doctors can be contacted on: 04 13 94 22 58
The occupational psychologist on: 07 88 22 09 20
Social workers on: 04 13 94 64 64 (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday)
You can also contact them by e-mail, depending on the campus where you are based:
sumpp-campus-marseille-centre@univ-amu.fr
sumpp-campus-aix@univ-amu.fr
sumpp-campus-luminy@univ-amu.fr
sumpp-campus-etoile@univ-amu.fr
sumpp-campus-timone@univ-amu.fr
sumpp-pharo@univ-amu.fr
4. Staying connected and thinking positive thoughts
Discover the choreography of 4 dancers from the university company DANSE'AMU. Entitled "Le Banquet", it represents rivalry, conformity, friendship and relief. NB: this performance was given at Le Cube last February, before the lockdown.
https://amupod.univ-amu.fr/video/4137-le-banquet/
Science popularisation: understand some complex subjects in just 13 minutes thanks to the rhythmic explanations of our researchers in a wide range of disciplines. The "Treize minutes Marseille" and the "Treize minutes jeunes chercheurs" are annual events organised by AMU.
https://treize.lis-lab.fr/?cat=3
And always keep active! Videos are now available on the AMU FaceBook account with dedicated "rendez-vous Sport" pages offering live meetings:
https://www.facebook.com/events/928220804260304/
Continue to see each other and exchange ideas: take original photos, make mini videos, share your confined daily life and your teleworking experiences with us on a temporary collective gallery. A link will regularly be made to your personal contributions, to which all AMU Info readers will have access for a limited time.
To find out more, follow this link: click here
To take part and add a contribution (image, video), go here: click here
5. Put your time into your training
The GEFORP application is dedicated to training and skills development for AMU staff. You can access certain e-learning courses by logging in with your AMU ID: https://formations-rh.univ-amu.fr/login
Screen work" training to contribute to your health and safety by applying good practice, saving physical effort and redesigning your workstation in front of a work screen,
Improve your writing and spelling with Voltaire certification (4 places still available) in 10 hours of online training. You will be accompanied by an accredited trainer on the "Voltaire Project" platform.
On 3, 6 and 9 April, those who have taken part in the "Writing the activity report for category A competitions" course (preparation for competitions) will have the opportunity to take part in individual sessions - by e-mail or telephone lasting 30 minutes - to analyse the activity report for category A competitions.
6. Be well informed
For reliable information on the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, we follow the recommendations of the French Academy of Sciences, which recommends that you consult the following links:
The Institut Pasteur website for the essentials on the COVID-19 coronavirus. This page is updated regularly
http://www.pasteur.fr/fr/centre-medical/fiches-maladies/coronavirus-wuhan
The World Health Organisation's website page for monitoring the epidemiological situation in each country
http://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation…
Professor Philippe Sansonetti's lecture at the Collège de France, in which he explains the emergence of COVID-19
The special session on COVID-19 organised at the Académie des Sciences on 10 March last
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RDzTOVH1pA
The Eficiens website page for real-time monitoring of the number of people infected in France.
www.eficiens.com/coronavirus-statistiques/#evolution-contamination-france
Éric Berton
Chairman of Aix-Marseille University