Cleveland State University’s Health and Wellness Services recently released information and guidelines about the status of the coronavirus and used the recent outbreak to remind students and faculty to use good hygiene practices for more pressing illnesses in the United States. 
Health and Wellness Services first addressed the outbreak in an information release shortly after reports of possible cases of the novel coronavirus at Miami University of Ohio on Jan. 27. 
“Health officials and administrators throughout Cleveland State will continue to work closely with partners at both the Ohio Department of Health and our local health department to prepare for, screen, and prevent the spread of illness and keep our community safe. If the situation warrants, we will follow up with additional communication,” Health and Wellness Services said in the release. 
In a Feb. 2 update, Health and Wellness Services announced that students and faculty who have traveled or plan to travel to China, where the outbreak originated, will have to report to them so that resources and assistance can be provided. 
Eileen Guttman, the director of Health and Wellness Services, said that the outbreak is considered low risk in the United States.
“There have been no reports here at CSU,” said Guttman.
Guttman said that the university had experience handling outbreaks such as the coronavirus, citing the H1N1 influenza outbreak 10 years ago. 
“[Health and Wellness Services] vaccinated 1,500 people during that outbreak,” Guttman said. 
Guttman also said that the coronavirus is still new and unknown, and that information is subject to change. 
“It’s an evolving situation,” Guttman said. “And I want to keep up to date. I like to stay one step ahead.”
Despite the recent media coverage, Guttman said that she wants students to know that coronavirus risk is very low in the United States. She also said she wants to take the outbreak as an opportunity to remind students that the flu is a much higher risk than the coronavirus abroad. 
“Fewer than 50 percent of people vaccinate for the flu,” Guttman said. “The coronavirus is brand new, novel, getting media attention and is scary. This causes people to focus on the unknown more than the known.”
Guttman recommends that students be vaccinated for the flu at Health and Wellness Services or anywhere that vaccines are offered. She also said that keeping good hygiene practices is as important now as it has ever been. 
“It’s like what Mom always told you,” she said, “Wash your hands, don’t touch your face and stay home if you are sick.”
Guttman said that the coronavirus is still a fluid situation and has no timeline for the progress of the reporting, but that Health and Wellness Services will continue to monitor closely and inform appropriately. 
“In this country, we have awesome health departments,” she said. “The Ohio Department of Health (ODH), Cuyahoga County and the city of Cleveland are all working together with CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidance. We know what [the coronavirus] is and we have good people working on it.” 
The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first identified in Wuhan, China. The first case in the United States was confirmed on Jan. 21 in Washington state. As of Feb. 19, there are 15 confirmed cases in the U.S. Investigations by the CDC and ODH are underway to gather more information. 
For more information about the coronavirus and other health services offered at Cleveland State University, contact Health and Wellness Services at 216.687.3649 or healthandwellness@csuohio.edu or online at https://www.csuohio.edu/health/health.