This is part of an ongoing series of student-led candid conversations with members of leadership at University of Michigan.

In this campus conversation, University of Michigan Chief Health Officer Preeti Malani, MD, joined #UMSocial intern Keara Kotten to discuss the B.1.1.7 COVID variant on campus, well-being during the pandemic, and the implications of misinformation about the vaccines. 

An infectious disease expert, Malani has been busy this year educating U-M students, faculty, and staff on important ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, communicating the need for shared responsibility by the whole campus community, and sharing tips with U-M students health and wellness. 

Throughout the conversation, Malani emphasizes the need to address isolation issues and maintain well-being during the pandemic. 

“Well-being issues predate COVID, but certainly I think COVID has made it a lot worse. In particular, isolation and loneliness really add to baseline issues and among our student body; a lot of this is anxiety and depression,” she says, adding that prioritizing mental health and wellness is a necessity for students.

Malani acknowledges that the pandemic has been immensely disruptive for students and encourages them to help cope by talking to someone—whether an academic advisor, a counselor at CAPS, a clinician at UHS, a trusted friend, or a close family member.  

One of the things Malani does to maintain her well-being is keeping supportive family and friends close.

“I try to really think about who’s around me. Are they bringing positive energy or are they just draining me? I really try to surround myself with people who can help bring more positive energy,” she says.

Adjusting to virtual learning, working, and socializing has been difficult for everyone, but especially the students community, which has had to completely reframe the college experience. Malani encourages students to seek out and engage with groups and clubs, and take opportunities to meet new people virtually when the majority of students can’t be on campus.

She also talks about the COVID-19 vaccine, and how remarkable it is that there is a safe and effective vaccine within a year of the outbreak. 

“The vaccine is going to be the game-changer, but it isn’t something that can happen quickly,” she says. “The numbers are picking up and ultimately we’re going to get there.”

Along with the vaccine has come an abundance of rumors and myths about its efficacy and safety. Malani discusses the implications of false information spreading around the virus and the vaccine specifically.

“I would encourage people to get reliable information and be a smart consumer of information. Don’t go by anecdotes or what someone might have posted on Facebook, rather really try to go to the source and pay attention to what that source is,” she says. 

With the recent news of new strains of the coronavirus—and the B.1.1.7. variant—being identified on campus, Malani emphasizes how vital it is to remain vigilant about following public health guidelines.

“It really gets to the point that we need to double down on prevention. The reason we are concerned about the variant being in our community is that it can spread more quickly and more easily. So things that might have been safe before maybe might put you at a little bit of a higher risk now. That doesn’t mean that distancing and masks don’t work anymore; they still work,” Malani says. 

Malani is grateful that no one in her immediate family has gotten ill, and that she has gotten to spend more time with her son, a U-M student. They recently got a puppy—something she says they wouldn’t have done if not for being home due to the pandemic. 

Her parting thoughts are for the students. She says that the whole situation has been a “bummer” and she knows how much everyone wants to be back on campus. 

“I’m really proud of our students and how they have stepped up to support the community and to support each other,” she says. “What I see is a lot of students holding each other accountable. So I’m very proud of that.”

“And as you enter the phase of your adulthood, I think that the lessons you’ve learned, this resilience that you’ve shown is going to sustain you and help you. And, personally, and I get kind of emotional thinking about it, because this is my own kids I’m talking about, I can’t wait to see what you do next.”