Week of February 3, 2020
IMPORTANT HEALTH UPDATE
Sent: February 6, 2020 5:55 PM
To the Dickinson community:
As you are likely aware, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are monitoring an outbreak of a respiratory illness termed “2019-nCoV.” The new virus is a coronavirus, which is a family of viruses that includes the common cold and was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and continues to expand.
Since our previous communication at the end of January when we shared that we were working to bring Dickinson students back from China, the CDC and the PA Department of Health have updated their directives and now have asked us to identify students who have traveled to campus from China since Jan. 22. To comply with this requirement, we have identified four students that we have had to quarantine on campus. These students have no symptoms, but as a purely precautionary measure, we are isolating them in single rooms until they have been in the U.S. for 14 days.
We are ensuring these students are comfortable. We will provide their meals and make sure they have every opportunity to make up missed academic work with no penalty.
Please continue to observe the following precautions to prevent the spread of all communicable diseases: wash your hands often, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, eat healthy foods, get enough sleep, decrease stress and limit or eliminate the use of tobacco products.
It is important to remember that the physical health of our community is connected to the social and mental health of our community. For our Chinese students in particular, we extend our compassion and concern for this situation and the impact this may be having on their loved ones back home.
If you need assistance dealing with this situation or have any questions or concerns, please contact the Wellness Center.
Sincerely,
George Stroud
Vice President for Student Life