On March 6, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., sent the following message to UNMC students, faculty and staff:
The health and well-being of the University of Nebraska Medical Center community is of our utmost concern as new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) are reported around the United States.
As of today, there are no known cases of COVID-19 in Omaha or the UNMC campus community outside the imported cases that are being managed in our quarantine and biocontainment units. These individuals continue to do well, and seven have returned to their homes, very grateful to the med center team.
While the virus does not pose an immediate threat to our campus, leadership teams across the NU system have been working diligently to ensure we maintain safe, healthy learning, teaching, and research environments as we become aware of new developments and spread in other parts of the U.S. and worldwide.
In the spirit of transparency, I would like to share with you some of the health guidance we already have issued to UNMC, new travel guidance ahead of spring break, and steps we are taking to ensure academic and business operations can continue should the situation worsen. As we like to say “hope for the best, but prepare, prepare and prepare.”
Steps We Have Taken
Since January, members of UNMC’s leadership team and I have been meeting regularly to assess the situation as it evolves and respond in a thoughtful and proactive way.
We have regularly shared important information about COVID-19 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through emails, campus newsletters and public forums. Many of those updates can be found in UNMC’s new coronavirus webpage.
On the page you also can find a helpful coronavirus Q&A with Nebraska Medicine health experts, as well as other helpful information.
Travel Guidance
As spring break approaches, we encourage you to be mindful of the health risks posed by traveling abroad to nations identified in the CDC’s travel risk assessment and to states within the U.S. where new cases have been reported.
Recent travel guidance includes:
- On Feb. 5, we announced that travel to China was restricted based on the CDC’s Warning Level 3 advisory.
- On Feb. 10, we issued quarantine guidance to students, faculty, and staff members returning to the U.S. from China.
- On Feb. 28, we asked that individuals returning from South Korea, Iran, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam register online with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, with some additional guidance.
- Today, we provided a memorandum outlining updates to the countries that have been classified as Level 3 by the CDC.
- Also, Dr. Jane Meza and I have written a letter that provides guidance on study abroad and international visitors.
In the best interest of your own health and safety, we strongly encourage reconsideration of personal international travel you have planned. For university-related travel, please make sure to record your university-sponsored travel in Concur.
If you do plan to travel internationally, know that you may become ill and that nations may institute their own travel restrictions with little to no prior notice. For the latest international travel notices, we encourage you to regularly check the CDC website and adjust your plans accordingly. We also recommend that you contact your personal primary care provider to help determine whether self-quarantine is necessary upon return.
Advanced Preparations
Leadership at UNMC has initiated a planning process for scenarios in which we would need to deliver programs through distance or online learning. Although we do not know how this virus will evolve or how it spreads, we can do our best to mitigate disruptions to academic and business operations.
In preparation of such a scenario, I have asked our deans and directors to work with units within their colleges. Resources for faculty are available at www.unmc.edu/coronavirus. These resources include:
- Adoption of the Canvas learning management system (LMS) for all courses.
- Readiness to integrate content and lectures into Canvas (e.g. Echo 360) or Zoom.
- Investigation of workflows within the departments and schools that includes advising, office hours, staff meetings, and business functions using digital tools.
Continued Wellness
In closing, I would like to reiterate that your health is our first priority. While in the face of the spread of COVID-19, this means taking everyday preventive actions as recommended by the CDC to prevent the spread of respiratory issues:
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- While sick, limit contact with others as much as possible.
- Stay home if you are sick.
- Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub with at least 60% alcohol.
- If you feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and have traveled to China or were in close contact with someone with COVID-19 in the 14 days before you began to feel sick, seek medical care. Before you go to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
During the spread of this virus, it is doubly important to be mindful of your overall wellness.
Resources about the Nebraska Medicine – UNMC Student Health; Counseling and Psychological Services; Faculty/Employee Assistance Program; Accessibility Services Center; and more are available on UNMC’s Wellness page.
Should you have questions, please email unmcincidentcommand@unmc.edu. Our incident commanders and planning sections will triage your questions to appropriate individuals on campus or incorporate them into our planning process.
Best,
Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D.
Chancellor, University of Nebraska Medical Center