In a Feb. 28 memorandum to UNMC and Nebraska Medicine faculty, providers, staff and students, Jim Linder, M.D., Nebraska Medicine CEO, and Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., UNMC Chancellor, shared information for members of the medical center community who had recently traveled to China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
The memorandum read:
This memorandum provides an update to our guidance for UNMC and Nebraska Medicine staff who have traveled abroad to China since Jan. 24, and over the past two weeks to the other places listed above affected by the COVID-19 outbreak as designated by the U.S. Federal Guidance.
For all those who are returning from China, guidance remains the same and is dictated by U.S. federal guidance: you must home quarantine for 14 days and register with the local public health department for guidance. Contact information for all county health departments in Nebraska is available here. Iowa county health department contact information is available here. If you do not develop symptoms during your 14-day quarantine and you are ready to return to work or class, you must receive authorization by contacting Nebraska Medicine Employee Health (402-552-3563) if you are an employee or the UNMC Student Health Clinic if you are a student (402-559-5158).
For all those who are returning from the other countries noted above, they should register on line with the Public Health Department.
1) If those returning are showing no symptoms, they may return to the campus and resume normal work activities, unless they had direct contact with someone with COVID-19 or worked in a healthcare facility. See number three below.
2) If those returning develop symptoms (e.g. fever or respiratory symptoms), they should promptly remove themselves from campus or stay home and
- Inform NM Employee Health; and
- Inform the Public Health Department through the website or as instructed.
We will then coordinate with the Public Health Department to have the staff evaluated and tested. This practice is also congruent with NE HHS guidance.
3) For those returning who had higher risk while abroad – including contact with a known case of COVID-19 or working in a healthcare facility while abroad, they are required to institute the 14-day home quarantine, contact the public health department, and contact NM Employee Health.
4) Students experiencing symptoms should contact the Student Health Clinic (402-559-5158).
5) When ready to return to work or class,
- If you are a staff member, you must receive authorization by contacting Nebraska Medicine Employee Health (402-552-3563) and then contact your manager to return to your work area.
- If you are a student, you must receive authorization to return to class by contacting UNMC Student Health Clinic (402-559-5158).
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine are working closely with federal agencies and the public health service to protect our community.
Faculty, provider, staff and student travel to China is currently restricted. Please understand that this will likely continue to change over time. We will continue to update you with the latest information on this developing situation.
Thank you for your understanding and for helping to protect the health of our learning and caring community.