January 24, 2020

MEMORANDUM

To: Senior Leadership Group and Dean’s Council

From: Rob Clark, Provost and Senior Vice President for Research

cc: Gerald Gamm, Chunkit Fung

Re: Update on the novel coronavirus

I write to ask for your assistance. As you know, there is rising concern on our campus about the
2019 novel coronavirus. We have provided some information about this via @Rochester and in a
direct email to students, but we have learned from several schools that students believe
incorrectly that the virus is already present here, and the level of concern–especially among our
Chinese students–seems to be rising.

I want to provide you a full run-down of the facts in this situation, as well as an overview of the
preparations and capabilities already in place in the unlikely event we discover the virus here. I
would ask that, to the extent you feel comfortable in doing so, you relay this information to your
faculty and senior administrators, both to reassure them and to put them in a position of
reassuring their students and staff, that there is no cause for heightened concern at the University.

First and most important, we have no reason to believe there are cases of novel coronavirus
on our campuses or in the Rochester area. The risk of infection in Upstate New York remains
low, as URMC affirmed in a public statement released yesterday. If we do become aware of any
cases related to our students, faculty or staff, we will inform the University community, and if
any cases emerge in Rochester, the Monroe County Health Department in partnership with the
Centers for Disease Control would issue an alert to the region.

University Health Service, working with infectious disease experts at the medical center, are
screening all students who could have potentially been exposed to the virus. Here are three things
members of the University community should know:
 The screenings have not raised concerns that novel coronavirus is present on campus
 Cancellation of a lab meeting at the Institute of Optics was not in any related to people
who could potentially have been exposed to the virus
 The same precautions we advise everyone in the University community to take during
cold and flu season – wash your hands often, stay home when you’re sick and avoid
contact with people who are ill – will help to keep the risk of this virus low in our area

As you know, U.S. officials are actively screening for signs of illness in travelers from the
Wuhan area arriving in U.S. airports. The Office of Global Engagement has reviewed University
travel in the affected areas in China and East Asia, and travelers on study or business abroad
have been notified. Global Engagement is monitoring future travel and has provided the
University Health Service with a list of travelers recently returned from the region.
URMC officials are working closely with Monroe County Department of Public Health to
monitor the spread of the virus, and we will provide further updates if the risk of infection to our
area increases. Our medical center is fully prepared and able to respond and to treat patients, and
our University Office of Emergency Management has plans and protocols in place to address the
situation, should it become necessary to do so.

As of this writing, two cases of novel coronavirus have been confirmed in the United States, one
in the state of Washington and another in Illinois. Although we have no known cases of
coronavirus here, we have students, faculty, and staff who have family and friends from the
affected areas of China. These members of our community may be concerned and anxious, and I
hope you are able to be particularly supportive of them. As always, if students, faculty or staff
wish to speak with someone about their worries or other personal concerns, the following
resources are available:

 CARE Network Resource Center (University-wide for students)

https://www.rochester.edu/care/resource-center

 University Counseling Center (University-wide for students)

(585) 275-3113—24 hours a day

 University Faith Communities at the Interfaith Chapel (on River Campus for students,
faculty and staff)
(585) 275-4321

 The Employee Assistance Program (University-wide for faculty and staff)

(585) 276-9110

Below is the update emailed to all students yesterday, and well as included in @Rochester on
Thursday.

*******************
UHS Update on Novel Coronavirus

The University is closely monitoring the outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which
originated in Wuhan, China in late 2019. To date, a small number of cases have been
documented outside of China, including a case in the United States. While it is unlikely that this
coronavirus will appear on our campuses, University Health Service (UHS) is prepared to
respond and would provide ongoing updates to the University community.

This coronavirus can cause illness that is mild—a simple cold or upper respiratory infection that
can be overcome—to more severe cases that can result in life-threatening pneumonia. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the risk to the general American public
as being low at this time, but it is also an evolving situation. Here is additional information and
guidance about the virus from the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-
ncov/index.html.
The University is communicating proactively with individuals who may have traveled to or near
the affected locations. Anyone who may have been exposed to this infection and is having fever,
cough or shortness of breath should contact UHS (585-275-2662) for advice on what to do.

U.S. health officials are screening travelers arriving from Wuhan to Los Angeles, San Francisco,
New York’s JFK, Chicago O’Hare, and Atlanta international airports, and in the coming days all
flights from Wuhan to the United States will be redirected so their first port of entry is one of
those five airports. University travelers abroad are reminded to register their travel with Global
Engagement so that the University can connect with and support them in the event of an
emergency abroad. For questions about University travel to and from China, please contact the
Office of Global Engagement at 585-275-8699.

Ralph A. Manchester
Vice Provost and Director
University Health Service