ISOLATION

Two Washtenaw County organizations have joined forces to help seniors cope with increased isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michigan health officials have updated the state’s quarantine and isolation guidelines as COVID cases continue to drop following the omicron surge.

What to know about isolation, masking and more if you're still testing positive late into a COVID-19 infection.

The new guidance from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says that you should isolate for five days if you test positive for COVID. Then, if you don’t have symptoms, you can return to school as long as you are wearing a well-fitted mask for six to 10 days.

Michigan health officials updated their K-12 school quarantine and isolation guidance to reflect updates made by the CDC.

The CDC is still struggling to clarify its change in the recommended isolation period for people who test positive for COVID but are asymptomatic.

Michigan’s health agency says it’s updating guidance for COVID-19 quarantine to match new CDC recommendations.

The Washtenaw County Health Department is urging residents to get vaccinated, avoid large gatherings and isolate from others if sick.

The CDC has issued new guidance on how long you need to quarantine after a positive COVID-19 test or contact with someone who tests positive.

University of Michigan continues to report a decrease in COVID cases among students.

On Thursday, the Washtenaw County Health Department released a statement about the legality of its emergency orders for educational settings.

U-M officials report

COVID cases continue to rise after students returned to U-M's Ann Arbor campus.

Pets have gotten accustomed to their owners spending more time at home than ever before amid the pandemic, so what happens when that routine changes?

Many older adults reported decreased physical activity during the pandemic, which can increase the risk of falls, says U-M.

Isolation, stress and other hardships brought on by the pandemic may have driven drug use or relapses.

Yo-Yo Ma will join six U-M students and three Michigan-based artists from Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint for the project.

Most of the parents said that their children learned online from home, using school-provided electronic resources, educational apps and social media. Roughly 35% of parents reported that their children’s behavior changed since the pandemic began, including feelings of sadness, loneliness and depression. Daily schedule disruptions and a lack of access to free and reduced-price meals from school were significant stressors, parents reported. “Research suggests that, unfortunately, the high levels of stress, anxiety and depression among parents remained high through the summer and early fall. Co-authors on the study are U-M doctoral student in psychology and social work, Kaitlin Ward and U-M undergraduate research assistants Kasey Downing and Olivia Chang.

'The Cube' is motionless in the video portraying an empty U-M campus. ANN ARBOR – Life during the coronavirus pandemic has been turned upside down, and for college students whose normal experience relies so heavily on social interactions, this year in isolation has left many feeling disconnected. In response, University of Michigan’s Student Life recently launched Find Community, a new website geared toward helping students connect with one another. The site has suggestions for a variety of interests, including those who want to:Join a student organizationJoin a fraternity or sororityConnect with others and exerciseConnect with others and volunteerLearn about leadership opportunitiesConnect with resources during a difficult time“Meeting people, participating in Student Orgs, volunteering and just getting involved is so essential to the campus equation,” Susan Thwing from Student Life Communications wrote A4 via email. “Student Life’s new Find Community website is available to help by providing many options for getting involved either virtually or through activities with safety protocols in place.”For more information, visit www.studentlife.umich.edu/find-community.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – All athletic programs at the University of Michigan will be put on a 14-day pause starting Sunday, a school official confirmed Saturday night. Read: New COVID strain prompts 2-week pause of Michigan Athletics activitiesThe decision was made by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Team members -- student athletes, coaches and team staff -- are asked to immediately isolate or quarantine until further notice. MDHHS sent University of Michigan officials a memo explaining our recommendations, but has not issued any orders for the university to take any actions. Due to possible exposure to the virus in the community, MDHHS has also recommended increased testing in Washtenaw County to the Washtenaw County Health Department.

The pandemic is taking a toll on teens' mental health The social isolation and remote learning that has come along with the coronavirus pandemic has taken an especially harsh toll on teenagers. Clinical psychologist and author Ramani Durvasula joins CBSN to explain what adolescents are going through and how parents can help.

ANN ARBOR – A group of University of Michigan students have been actively engaging with local older adults during the pandemic to help ease their isolation and strike up new friendships. The project was launched by members of the Lambda Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, an honorary co-ed band sorority focused on service. The group connected with the Ann Arbor Senior Center and began advertising in the center’s newsletter for virtual pen pals. “Chatting with my virtual pen pal has helped me remain connected to the U-M campus and the surrounding Ann Arbor community, as well as learn more about Michigan in general,” Souza said in a statement. “Additionally, as an aspiring high school teacher, I was so excited to learn that my pen pal was a high school teacher!

Previously, if you were exposed to a person infected with SARS-CoV-2, the recommendation was that you quarantine for 14 days. That’s based on good evidence that most people will have developed symptoms by day 14 and, even if they don’t have symptoms, the risk of being infectious past day 14 is also low. It’s not that 14 days is bad, it’s just that’s how does society wants to balance it.”And balance is the important point. Based on what we know, the CDC didn’t say that 14 days is wrong and they are still recommending it when possible. Related: Will Michiganders be willing to get COVID-19 vaccine?

ANN ARBOR – Due to an exponential growth in COVID-19 cases in the area, the Washtenaw County Health Department announced Thursday that it is now experiencing delays in contact tracing calls and emails. “Don’t wait for a call from the Health Department," Jimena Loveluck, health officer for Washtenaw County Health Department, said in a statement. All other residents who receive a positive test should follow established guidance and will be contacted as capacity allows. A person is considered contagious 2 days before their symptoms start or before their positive test if they do not have symptoms. The next pop-up testing opportunities are scheduled for Sat, Nov 14 at the Ypsilanti District Library at 5577 Whittaker Road and Sat, Nov 21 at Washtenaw County Health Department at 555 Towner Street.

ANN ARBOR – According to a recent poll by the University of Michigan, 56 percent of adults over the age of 50 reported feeling isolated from others in June. That’s more than double the 27% who reported feeling lonely in a similar 2018 poll. Additionally, a third of respondents reported having less companionship than before the pandemic. Meanwhile, seventy five percent of respondents reported engaging in healthy behaviors by getting outdoors or interacting with nature while 62% reported exercising multiple times a week. Both polls on loneliness in older adults from 2020 and 2018 drew from a national sample of more than 2,000 respondents between the ages of 50 and 80 and were conducted online.

According to Niess-May, the following factors may be contributing to domestic abuse cases not being reported:Fear of calling 911. By using isolation as a method to cut off family and friends, the abusive partner has a greater amount of control in the relationship. Survivors do not have a chance to reach out for support, especially with the stay home order in place. By using isolation as a method to cut off family and friends, the abusive partner has a greater amount of control in the relationship. Once an assailant uses the tactics, survivors learn quickly what the assailant is capable of, and will continue to believe that they could use the tactics.

It includes sober dating, travel information, community groups, booze-less guides, where to find the best mocktails; you name it. Gottlieb said there has been a lot of interest in Loosid’s “sober curious” groups. How can the app help? For example, select “I just relapsed and I need help” or “Weekend and holiday support,” and you’ll be linked with people and resources. “Some people are coming out of the hospitality industry -- people with no money, who need help now,” Gottlieb said.