University of Kentucky suspends student travel to China due to coronavirus
The University of Kentucky is barring all students from traveling to China as the international outbreak of coronavirus continues to spread.
All non-essential university-sponsored travel to China by faculty, staff and students also will not be approved, UK President Eli Capilouto said in a statement Thursday.
Though appeals to the travel restriction will be judged on a case-by-case scenario, the directive applies to all undergraduate and graduate students, as well as medical residents, “regardless of whether the student is earning academic credit associated with the trip,” he wrote. “The health, safety, and well-being of our campus community is our top priority,” though “the risk of transmission to members of our community is very low,” he said.
No reported coronavirus cases have been detected at UK or in Kentucky, officials have said.
Hours after Capilouto’s announcement, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of coronavirus a global health emergency. Since it was first detected late last month in the Wuhan Hubei Province of China, the new strain of the respiratory illness has infected nearly 8,000 people, primarily in China, compelling the country’s public health officials to halt all travel to and from the affected area and quarantine thousands more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In China, 170 people have died.
While the CDC called the outbreak a “serious public health threat,” only five cases have been confirmed in the United States: two cases in California, and one case in Washington, Arizona and Illinois, respectively. Though 68 cases across the country have been ruled out and 92 are pending, at this point, general American public is “unlikely to be exposed to this virus,” the CDC said. No vaccine yet exists to combat the virus.
Coronaviruses tend to affect mammals, including bats, cats, and cattle, but occasionally it affects people. Symptoms are flu-like: a cough, headache, fever, runny nose, and sore throat. It’s similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), both of which are also coronaviruses.
On Wednesday, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services said even though there are no confirmed or suspected cases of the virus among Kentuckians, state health officials are “actively investigating any reports.”
In addition to UK revoking permission for students, faculty and staff to travel to China, Capilouto urged anyone who has traveled to and from the country within the last two weeks and experiences flu-like symptoms to tell medical providers. Students can call University Health Service at 859-323-2778.
Dr. Connie White, state Department for Public Health deputy commissioner for clinical affairs, told Kentuckians on Wednesday, “The best guidance at this point is to take the same precautions recommended for avoiding colds and flu.”
“People should stay home when they are sick, cover their cough and practice good hand washing. If you are planning a trip to China, keep an eye on the news and be aware of this evolving situation,” White said. “If you have recently returned from a trip to China and are feeling sick, call your health care provider and let them know of your travel and symptoms.”
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 4:26 PM.
