President Hilary L. Link
January 29, 2020 at 8:55am
Allegheny continues to monitor the Novel Coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China. College administrators held a meeting recently with Meadville Medical Center’s Chief Medical Officer, Denise Johnson, MD, FACOG, to discuss plans should a suspected case of coronavirus present on our campus. To date, there are no documented coronavirus cases in Pennsylvania.
We would like to remind the campus community that the best protection from the spread of any virus, including Novel Coronavirus, is through everyday preventive actions, including the following:
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. Cough into your elbow if you do not have a tissue.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. This includes your cell phone.
Signs and symptoms of coronavirus and influenza are very similar. If you are running a high fever and have a mild-to-severe respiratory illness, with a cough, sore throat, and/or difficulty breathing, please call Winslow Health Center at (814) 332-4355 to set up an appointment to be seen by a physician or nurse practitioner as soon as possible.
Taking basic precautions will help to reduce the spread of all viruses on campus.
For more information, please visit the CDC’s 2019-nCoV website.
President Hilary L. Link