Dear Ithaca College Faculty, Staff and Students:
Due to the recent outbreak of a novel strain of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that originated in Wuhan, in the Hubei Province of China, I wanted to reach out directly to keep you informed.
While we are not aware of anyone in our community having contracted this strain and believe the risk to our campus community to be low, Ithaca College is working with our campus partners (including Environmental Health and Safety) and local and state resources (Tompkins County Health Department and New York State Department of Health) to help protect the health of our community members.
Coronaviruses are viruses that can cause the common cold but also can cause other illnesses like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). Though commonly circulating in animals, coronaviruses can infect humans as well.
Symptoms related to this coronavirus strain include fever (above 100.4 F) and a cough or shortness of breath. This coronavirus infection can lead to pneumonia and other complications if severe.
The mode of transmission is still not clear. To reduce your risk of infection (or of infecting others), we are recommending covering your cough, washing your hands, using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and not sharing food or drinks. If you are not feeling well, please stay home from class or work and rest.
Students with questions or concerns should contact the Hammond Health Center at 607-274-3177. We are encouraging our faculty and staff to contact their local primary care providers if questions or concerns arise.
Additional information about public health guidelines related to the virus can be found:
We will continue to keep the campus community updated as necessary.
Sincerely,
Ellyn Sellers-Selin, MD
Medical Director
Center for Counseling, Health, and Wellness
Ithaca College
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20200124160938469