Coronavirus Update At UC Davis

From the University of California, Davis:

Posted 4:30 p.m. Jan. 31

UC Davis continues to think locally and globally regarding the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, and is spreading around the world.

• The main campus and health system stressed the importance of adhering to the same good hygiene practices that are recommended for protection from another virus — the flu.
• Global Affairs updated its advisory for university-affiliated travel to China.

The number of confirmed cases in California grew to three with Santa Clara County’s announcement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had confirmed a county resident — a man — had tested positive for the coronavirus. The other cases in the state are in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

UC Davis and UC Davis Health remained vigilant, reporting earlier this week that the university had implemented measures to help protect our community should a patient be identified in the future.

The university continues to operate normally. There are currently no plans to cancel classes and the university will not plan to do so unless directed by the Yolo County Health Department.

Travel advisory

Global Affairs today (Jan. 31) designated China a “very high threat” travel destination for university affiliates.

This means that all China travel plans are subject to review by the Travel Advisory Committee. A handful of faculty members had previously registered their plans to travel to China — and Global Affairs confirmed with those faculty members that all of them had canceled their plans.

Global Affairs previously posted an advisory to university affiliates to avoid all travel to China, based on guidance from the State Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Look for updated advisories on Global Affairs’ novel-coronavirus travel announcement page. It includes information on the procedures involved in seeking permission to travel to China.

Global Affairs also reported that UC Davis has one study abroad program n China, scheduled to begin in late June. Zachary Frieders, interim executive director of the Global Learning Hub, said the university will evaluate the situation before enrollment closes in April, so that if the program is canceled, students have time to enroll in other programs.

The UC Education Abroad Program has canceled all winter and spring programs in China, affecting three UC Davis students; their program had not yet started.

The best defense

To help protect against flu virus — and by extension, coronavirus — Student Affairs and UC Davis Health advice includes: wash your hands often with soap and water; avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth; and try to avoid close contact with sick people.

UC Davis officials also are telling people: It is not too late to get a flu shot for added protection.

Cindy Schorzman, medical director of Student Health and Counseling Services, said: “Any member of our community suspecting they have influenza or the coronavirus should stay home.”

Students should call the Student Health and Wellness Center, 530-752-2349, or their primary care provider before going in. “This will allow us to provide you with information on your illness, and to plan for your visit to the clinic, if needed,” Schorzman said in a coronavirus update posted today (Jan. 28).

Faculty and staff should contact their primary care providers for instructions.

Schorzman’s update also includes an FAQ. It includes this note: Healthy students should not stay home for fear of catching an infection in class.

UC Davis Health

The health system stands ready, as always, to respond to threats like the novel coronavirus.

“Teams from throughout the health system have put together processes, protocols and procedures to protect our community and region against this illness,” Chief Medical Officer J. Douglas Kirk said Monday.

“Our standard clinical practices for any infectious disease already mean that our staff is very well trained and prepared to isolate and treat any patient who has, or shows symptoms of, the new coronavirus,” Kirk said. “But we are adding additional guidance and refresher trainings to enable staff to be even more comfortable and prepared.”

In his internal message, Kirk said: “I remain optimistic that if we do see the outbreak here it will not reach anywhere near the levels that we are seeing in China. But all of us need to be vigilant, maintain best practices for flu prevention and encourage our patients and their families to follow good flu prevention practices, too.”

In a UC Davis Health Jan. 24 news release and video (above), Dean Blumberg, chief of pediatric infectious diseases, addresses such questions as, “Should I wear a mask?” and “What should I do if I have cold symptoms?”

In a Jan. 22 news release and video, “What You Should Know” (below), Blumberg addresses such questions as, “Will the flu shot make a difference” and “How can I avoid Wuhan coronavirus?”

This press release was produced by the University of California, Davis. The views expressed here are the author’s own.