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Student Health Center Update - 2019 Novel Coronavirus

Posted on: Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3:15 PM

Dear Members of the Campus Community: 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring an outbreak caused by a new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has resulted in more than 500 confirmed cases and 17 fatalities in China.

We currently know of no campus community members who are at risk for 2019nCoV. The first confirmed case of 2019-nCoV in the United States was diagnosed in Seattle, Washington, and announced on Jan. 21. Cases have also been confirmed in Thailand, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea. As a result of the outbreak, the CDC issued a Watch Level 2 Alert (practice enhanced precautions).

According to the CDC, common human coronaviruses, including types 229E, NL63, OC43 and HKU1, usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses such as the common cold.

Three other human coronaviruses, MERS-CoVSARS-CoV and 2019-nCoV, have been known to cause severe symptoms including fever, cough and shortness of breath, which often progress to pneumonia.

Coronaviruses are most commonly spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing, close personal contact, touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.

Risk factors for 2019-nCoV include:

  • Travel history from Wuhan City, China within the last 14 days 
  • Close contact with a person within the last 14 days under investigation for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019nCoV)  
  • Close contact with a person within the past 14 days confirmed to have 2019nCoV

We ask students who are experiencing symptoms consistent with 2019-nCoV to visit the Student Health Center or call their primary doctor. Faculty and staff should contact their primary doctor. The Student Health Center is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 3:30 p.m. 

We will continue to provide additional information to the campus community as it becomes available.

Sincerely,
Richard J. Ordway Jr., M.D.
Director, Student Health Service

Message originally distributed via: Campus Update