I am the head physician and Director of Student Health Service at UW-La Crosse and I am reaching out to you regarding the recent news reports of an outbreak caused by coronavirus that was first identified in China. As many UWL students and staff traveled internationally over the winter break, I’m asking for your help in keeping our community informed about the situation and taking necessary precautions. At this time there are no known cases of Novel Coronavirus at UW-L or in Wisconsin.

I’ve provided general information about the virus below, as well as what to do if you are experiencing symptoms.

2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) | Health Advisory

We are currently monitoring a situation involving the 2019 Novel Coronovirus (2019-nCoV). The Center for Disease Control [CDC] has reported the outbreak of the 2019-nCoV began in late December 2019 in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

There are now over 400 confirmed cases in multiple Chinese cities, as well as Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. One confirmed case within the United States has been reported in the state of Washington. There have been several deaths in China associated with this virus. We are gathering the appropriate information to keep our community informed about this situation, precautionary measures, and any impacts to our programs and those traveling around the world.

What are the symptoms?

Fever, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, coughing, and pneumonia are all common symptoms experienced with the 2019-nCoV.

How is it transmitted?

The 2019-nCoV is believed to have originated in a market selling seafood, meat and live animals, though Chinese officials have confirmed that it is also transmissible person-to-person. 2019-nCoV has an incubation period of 14 days.

Recommendations if you have symptoms:

•  Students who have recently traveled to/from the Asia-Pacific region or have been in contact with anyone who did (in the past 14 days) and are experiencing any of these symptoms, should contact the UWL Student Health Center immediately at 608.785.8558.  Student Heath Center staff will help direct you on the next steps. Any international travel could potentially be a risk factor.
• Staff and faculty members with recent international travel and the above symptoms are encouraged to contact their health providers.
•  If you become ill after hours, please utilize one of the local emergency rooms. If you do require medical care, please put on a mask upon arrival and inform the check-in person that you have recent International travel and are ill.

Recommendations with no symptoms:

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, if soap and water is not available
• Avoid contact with sick people, livestock (alive or dead), animal markets, and avoid eating raw or undercooked meat and eggs
• If you have any international travel, continue to monitor for symptoms for the next 14 days

The CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) are providing the most up-to-date information for us as this is a rapidly evolving situation. I encourage you to check the following websites for the most current information:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus