The West Virginia University Office of Global Affairs continues to monitor the coronavirus outbreak and will address any questions or concerns that arise.
The State Department has increased the travel alert for China to a Level 4: Do Not Travel. This is due to the fact that most public transportation—including air travel in and out of the country—has been suspended, making it unlikely the U.S. government could provide assistance, if needed.
All passengers are being appropriately screened at the border and provided information on what to do if they become ill. The one person-to-person case in the U.S. was transmitted to the spouse of the first U.S. patient, who had recently returned from China.
The WVU Office of Global Affairs is coordinating with affected faculty and students, so please ensure ANY international travel (even for leisure purposes) is registered at https://international.wvu.edu/travel/registration. This will allow us to provide travelers with the most up-to-date information for their region, should circumstances change.
For more information about the novel coronavirus, view the most current Centers for Disease and Control Prevention fact sheet.
A few highlights from the fact sheet:
· The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person although it’s not clear how easily this happens, but it’s likely to occur to some extent.
· Right now, the greatest risk of infection is for people in Wuhan or people who have traveled to Wuhan and less so, other parts of China.
· Patients with 2019-nCoV have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of fever, cough, and shortness of breath.
· To protect yourself and others, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Since information is rapidly changing, you may also want to visit the CDC website.
Additional resources include the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and your local health department.
Students with health questions or concerns should contact WVU Medicine Student Health at 304-285-7200. WVU Faculty and staff should reach out to their primary health provider.