‘It is best to consider that we have all had some contact’ with coronavirus, WWU says
It’s best to assume we’ve all had some contact with the novel coronavirus and to take measures to make sure it doesn’t spread further, Western Washington University told its campus community in a health advisory Tuesday afternoon.
In a March 17 letter from WWU Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services Melynda Huskey, she stated that the school has received new guidance from the Whatcom County Health Department in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Whatcom county is still small, even as we are able to perform more tests,” Huskey wrote. “But there is strong evidence that the virus is widespread in our area.
“Here at Western, in particular, because so many 18- to 24-year-old students may experience very mild symptoms, we have likely been in contact with the virus already. The Health Department counsels that our safest course of action is to assume that all public areas have had exposure, rather than trying to identify individual exposures and contacts.”
Two new confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported in Whatcom County by the Health Department Tuesday, March 17, bringing the county’s total to five positive tests of residents.
The Health Department also is helping to track two confirmed cases from other counties. Those residents lived in King and Snohomish counties but they worked in Whatcom County. One was a Lummi Indian Business Council employee and the other was a Western Washington University contract construction worker.
“In short, it is best to consider that we have all had some contact with the virus, and take measures to limit its further spread, while monitoring our health.”
Huskey said the best course of action to stop coronavirus’ spread is social distancing.
To that end, the university suggested:
▪ Students and employees, whether at home or on campus, limit in-person contact with others.
▪ Any employees who can work at home do so.
▪ If you must work, use social distancing in the workplace, cover coughs and sneezes, wash your hands thoroughly and often and stay home if you’re sick.
Huskey also reminded everyone to pay attention to symptoms — fever, cough and shortness of breath. If symptoms are mild, there is no need for testing — instead, stay home and away from others and monitor your symptoms.
If your symptoms get worse, call your primary care provider before heading to the doctor’s office, Huskey wrote.
“You may safely go out again when you have had no fever for at least 72 hours without using fever-reducing medication, your other symptoms have improved, and it has been at least seven days since your symptoms first appeared,” Huskey wrote.
Western has been following Health Department protocols for cleaning public areas, Huskey said, but she also advised cleaning your own work surfaces, keyboards, touch screens and phones daily with disinfecting wipes or cleansers.
“Every day, our situation evolves, and with it, our plans,” Huskey wrote. “We will continue to act quickly on the instructions we receive from the Health Department, keeping our goal of protecting life safety and minimize the spread of COVID-19 at the forefront of our decision-making.”
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 4:33 PM.
