NKU creates team to prepare for Coronavirus

NKU has assembled a team to ensure campus preparedness if the Coronavirus impacts the region, according to a campus-wide email sent by President Ashish Vaidya. The team is led by Provost Sue Ott Rowlands and consists of “representatives from student affairs, international programs, health and safety, academic affairs, marketing and communications, HR and legal,” the release reported.

Though there have been zero cases confirmed at NKU or the region, the university is taking measures to ensure the safety of students and faculty. According to the release, the team will continue to monitor Coronavirus developments and will communicate new information and health recommendations.

Students currently abroad in South Korea and Japan have been reached out to by NKU’s Office of Education Abroad, according to the release. The university will stay in close contact with these students to monitor their safety. 

“Any cancellations of study abroad programs will be based on the latest information we receive,” President Vaidya wrote in the release. 

Senior Director of Strategic Communications Anna Wright said in an email to The Northerner that there are two students in Japan and one in South Korea.

“We are vigilantly monitoring all developments and will act in the best interest of our students,” Wright wrote in an email. 

Students who have questions about upcoming trips and study abroad opportunities can contact the Office of Education Abroad at 859-572-6908.

NKU has also created a coronavirus preparedness website with campus and national resources related to the Coronavirus. 

Students experiencing symptoms such as fever, cough or shortness of breath should contact Health, Counseling & Student Wellness at 859-572-5650 or visit their local health care provider.

Read the following safety precautions provided by NKU:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially:
      • Before, during and after you prepare food,
      • Before you eat and after you use the bathroom,
      • After handling cash,
      • More frequently when someone in your home is sick.

• Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.

• Frequently clean doorknobs, light switches, phones and other items commonly touched with disinfectant wipes.

• Avoid contact with people who are obviously sick.