EC responds to Coronavirus
An email sent out last month from Barbara Wittersheim, director of Student Health Services, to Elmhurst College faculty and student body, highlights how individuals can reduce risk of spreading the novel Coronavirus.
President Troy VankAken followed the initial notice with an update that provides clarification on the situation on March 1.
“No known cases have affected members of the Elmhurst College community, either here on campus or involving any of our students who are studying abroad,” said VanAken in his email.
EC is organizing a task force of faculty members who will begin preparing the campus for a potential outbreak. EC will also launch a page on its official sites, which includes general prevention tips and information about the virus.
Since the end of last year, Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, has left China shell-shocked. There are approximately 80,000 known cases in the country, and over 2,000 resulting deaths.
Coronavirus, which causes respiratory illness, has also become a threat to Japan, Iran, Italy, and South Korea. Travel advisories have been issued nationwide for the affected locations.
On Feb. 25, Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), stated during a national press conference that, “Current global circumstances suggest it’s likely this virus will cause a pandemic.”
There have been a handful of Coronavirus cases reported in the United States, some of them occurring in Illinois.
According to WGN-TV, in February, two Chicagoans were treated for the disease and fully recovered. Later during the month, the president of the Cook County Board, Toni Preckwinkle, confirmed that another resident has contracted the disease. The patient has since then been isolated.
Though the virus has created a scare amongst local communities, the threat of exposure to the American public remains relatively low. Currently, the official CDC site says that the virus is not spreading across the United States.
