In an effort to support the well-being of the MSU community, we have continued to monitor recommendations related to the novel coronavirus (n-CoV) that has been in the recent news and on recent regional and state health alerts.
While the coronavirus is a serious public health threat, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) characterizes the immediate health risk from the new coronavirus as low for anyone who is unlikely to be exposed to this virus or traveling abroad.
Recently, health officials and the Office of the Governor relayed that there are no known coronavirus cases in the State of Kentucky. Likewise, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services has made available the following website for public health information on the coronavirus and its status: http://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dph/pages/covid19.aspx
More locally to us, there are currently no known exposures to the coronavirus on the Morehead State University campus. Specifically,
•The University has had no recent trips to China.
•There are currently no University-sponsored trips in China or other areas of exposure planned for the Spring Semester.
•We have no known visiting faculty members from China working on our campus.
•Our campus health officials have not encountered anyone who they believe to have this specific virus.
Although this issue is a low-risk situation for our community, we are taking precautions and will continue to update the campus as circumstances might require.
There are a number of things that you can do to keep yourself healthy during this time of year when things like influenza or other viruses or bacterial infections are around.
•Wash your hands with soap and water, make sure you get plenty of sleep and keep yourself hydrated.
•Stay at home or out of large crowds if you feel a need to.
•Avoid others who may have a cold or have regular sickness.
•Get a flu shot or see your health provider for consultation.
•We suggest students contact the MSU Counseling & Health Services Center at: http://www.moreheadstate.edu/chs
if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, consistent cough, sore throat, body aches, runny nose or congestion.
•The Counseling & Health Services Center is located in Allie Young Hall 112 and is open from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number to the Health Center is 606-783-2055.
If you plan to individually travel during the Morehead State University spring break in March, we would ask that you carefully consider your choices, gain as much information as you can on areas that might have a higher risk factor, and take precautions should you believe you might encounter someone who is sick.
On January 31, 2020 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency and announced new travel restrictions from China to the United States:
Effective 5 p.m. February 2, 2020, the U.S. has new travel restrictions and required monitoring. There will be a temporary ban on entry for foreign nationals who have been to China in the past 14 days.
American citizens returning from Hubei in the past 14 days will be subject to health screening and up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine. American citizens returning from mainland China in the past 14 days will be subject to health screening and up to 14 days of monitored self -isolation.
As with any health alert, MSU is proactively working with campus partners, as well as local and state resources, to monitor the situation and to protect the health and well-being of the Eagle community.
Additional reliable informational material may also be found on the CDC website at: http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
