People wear protective face masks in a bus in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. Hong Kong on Tuesday reported its first death from a new virus, a man who had traveled from the mainland city of Wuhan that has been the epicenter of the outbreak. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)
A St. Thomas team has been formed to manage the university’s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus from China, according to an email sent by the Center for Well-Being Monday.
The email said spring study abroad programs that include travel to China “have been modified and will no longer include any travel to China,” and advised the university community against personal travel to China “until the State Department travel warnings are lowered.”
The university is also asking students, faculty and staff returning from mainland China to “self-monitor their symptoms for 14 days after arriving in the U.S.”
“We’re doing lots behind the scenes, as we have been since this was first identified with some increased surveillance,” Center for Well-Being director Madonna McDermott said.
McDermott said the Center for Well-Being is in constant contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, Minnesota Department of Health and Ramsey County, “making sure we are really clear on directions.”
McDermott also stressed not to target students, faculty or staff that may have recently traveled to China.
“They’re easily identifiable sometimes,” McDermott said, “so (they should) not be adversely targeted in a negative way.”
No Minnesota cases of the virus have been confirmed and officials have said there are 11 confirmed cases in the United States. The virus spread rapidly since its discovery late last year in China, with Al Jazeera reporting confirmed cases in 26 countries.
Justin Amaker can be reached at justin.amaker@stthomas.edu.
Joey Swanson and Emily Haugen contributed to this report.