Dear Hotchkiss Community,
We are writing to share Hotchkiss's response to a new respiratory virus outbreak (Novel Coronavirus or 2019-nCoV) that causes a pneumonia-like illness. It has spread from Wuhan to other parts of China
, other countries, and Washington State.
Person-to-person spread is occurring though it's unclear how easily this virus is spreading between people at this time. Signs and symptoms of this illness include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. While it is known to pass person-to-person, as of today, there have been no cases passed from travelers. China has worked with the World Health Organization (WHO) and there are many safety measures in place. We are following updates from the WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), International SOS, and our peer schools. The CDC considers this to be a low risk to the U.S. public, but a high risk for those traveling to Wuhan, Hubai Province.
Health officials are still learning about the specific characteristics of this virus, including the likelihood of transmission from person-to-person, the severity of the resulting illness, and how this virus can best be controlled. As with all infections, they emphasize prevention and early management of illness.
We are expecting many visitors over the next few weeks. Please let us know if you fall into these two categories:
1. A history of travel from Wuhan City, China or a close contact with a person who is currently being investigated for 2019-nCoV in the last 14 days, AND
2. A fever and/or respiratory symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.
As always, prevention remains the top priority so here are some helpful reminders:
- Wash your hands before eating, minimize close face-to-face or hand-to-hand contact, and cough into your elbow or a tissue.
- Limit sharing personal devices such as cell phones and computers.
- Take care of yourself by getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, choosing nutritious immune-boosting foods, and exercising.
- If you are sick, please come to the Health Center for further evaluation.
Here are some great resources:
Thank you for supporting our community's health.
Jared B. Zelman, MD, FACEP
Danielle Shippey, RN
Director of Health Services
