VetCORE/Imaging COVID-19 measures

VetImaging is taking steps to sustain services during the COVID-19 pandemic, under tight health and safety measures. Until further notice, all infrastructure will be available to you, albeit in a restricted form to ensure high levels of hygiene and distance among users all the time.

Users with health conditions who are at risk to develop severe symptoms are advised to avoid the facility and ask colleagues to perform experiments in their place.

The following rules apply:

Users who have been in risk areas or had contact with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 patients are not allowed to access the facility for 10 days. Current risk areas are defined at the webpage of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection and specifically listed in Appendix B. Users who are SARS-Cov-2 positive or otherwise sick are not allowed to access the facility even if they appear to have only mild cold-like symptoms.

-Microscopes accessible 24/7. One person per room policy! Booking required!

For trained users, the microscopes will be accessible after booking in the booking calendar. Your key cards will open the door as usual. For the moment, we will follow a strict one person per room policy, i.e., only one user operates only one of the available microscopes at any moment in time. Accordingly, you will be able to book the entire microscope room, stating the instrument you need (see instructions for booking). Bookings are possible for an initial maximum time of 3 hours per day, first come, first served. We will charge user fees for sessions that are not canceled in due time.

-Microscope trainings possible!

We will continue training new users at the microscopes. However, we aim at keeping all physical interaction to an absolute minimum. Theory introductions will be performed remotely. For face-to-face training sessions proof of 2G plus is required (full vaccination or recovery plus a negative test, either rapid or PCR, not older than 24 hours). For details, please contact Ursula Reichart.

-Workstations: remote access only! Booking required!

Amira, Arivis, Huygens, Fiji, and all other software on our workstations will be operated by remote access. Users will need to book time slots for an initial maximum of 6 hours per day upon which access to workstations will be granted. For remote access from outside the campus, an approved application for home office work (‘Antrag für Home Office’, online-application) and a signed agreement for remote access (‘Einverständnisserklärung Remotezugang’, both available from Human Ressources) are required. Remote access from within the Campus does not require the above documents. To obtain remote access permission, please contact Stefan Kummer.

-MicroCT: service operation mode

We accept delivery of mounted and unmounted samples for microCT analysis by appointment only. Analyses will be conducted on a full-service basis. For details, please contact Stephan Handschuh.

-Support by facility staff

VetImaging staff will be available on-site Mo-Fr, 9-5, to provide support, albeit remotely. We have implemented telecommunication tools to troubleshoot upcoming problems from the distance. For urgent support with microscope issues, facility staff is allowed to access the microscope room at any given time point.

-Special safety regulations

In addition to COVID-19 rules / COVID-19 rules for teaching enacted by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna additional regulations will apply for imaging facility usage. The guidelines are summarized in a pdf, which we hand out to you before you start work. Users who do not comply, will be sent away. For additional information and general questions, please contact Martin Glösmann.

Vienna, 30 October 2020