On Wednesday, January 29, an email was sent out to all students from the Vice President of Student Affairs concerning coronavirus. This virus was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. According to the email, there are no confirmed cases of the virus in the state of New Hampshire at this time. However, two people are currently being monitored who exhibited mild symptoms per the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.
The email stated: “Reported symptoms of illness have included primarily fever, cough and difficulty breathing. To reduce the risk of spreading virus infection, the CDC [Center for Disease Control] recommends taking precautionary measures similar to those for flu prevention. These include frequent handwashing with soap and water, avoiding sick people, staying home if you are sick, covering your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.”
There is currently no vaccination to protect against this coronavirus strain. The email advised that those who have recently been to China or have been in contact with someone who has been in China and feel sick should contact their primary healthcare provider. Anyone else with questions or concerns can contact the Wellness Center on campus or visit either of these sites for more information: https://www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdcs/2019-ncov.htm and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html.
According to the CDC, as of now, there are over 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China, including cases outside Wuhan City and an increasing number of other international locations, including the U.S. Investigations into the virus are continuing.
Rachel Vitello can be contacted at
rvitello@kscequinox.com.
