UPDATE: CSULB faces no current threat of coronavirus

Update Feb. 5

In less than two weeks, 11 people have contracted the novel coronavirus in five states, including two confirmed and several more suspected cases in California.

According to Angela Girard, interim co-director of Student Health Services, there is still no threat to the campus, but the university is prepared for an emergency.

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“Student Health Services continues to work closely with the Long Beach Department of Public Health, engaging in constant and direct communication,” Girard said. “We have an excellent partnership with LBDPH and will follow their guidance.”

Part of the SHS’s plan includes implementing a travel notice for students and faculty.

“There is currently less risk for campus considering the updated guidelines which state ‘travel within past 14 days’ and many students at this point have been in the area at least two weeks,” Girard said.

The Centers for Disease Control has recommended that individuals who are concerned about contraction should practice common cold and flu prevention tactics.

“Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing,” a CDC notice stated. “If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.”

The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency the day after the first confirmed case in the United States on Jan. 31. 

“Person-to-person spread of 2019-nCoV also has been seen among close contacts of returned travelers from Wuhan, but at this time, this virus is not currently spreading in the community in the United States,” according to the CDC.

According to a tweet from Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County supervisor, a letter was sent out to residents claiming that there was an outbreak in the “local area,” which was deemed untrue.

“A fake letter has been circulating on Facebook regarding a supposed Coronavirus outbreak in the South Bay,” the tweet reads. “This is not real, there is NO CURRENT THREAT to public health from the Coronavirus in Los Angeles County.”

Original Article posted Jan. 24

Coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has made its way to America within the last week.

Angela Girard, co-director of Student Health Services at Long Beach State, said there is no present threat to the campus as of Jan. 24, 2020.

“We are in close contact with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and they will notify us right away if there are any documented cases or cause for concern,” Girard said.

Girard said the university is taking precautions to guarantee that all students and faculty remain safe and healthy. 

“We’re taking precautions and asking students to report applicable symptoms if they’ve traveled to China recently,” Girad said.  “We follow guidelines from the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, coronavirus is a wide umbrella that includes viruses that are linked to respiratory symptoms and are much more common than the epidemic in China.

MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV are the two strains of the coronavirus that have been linked to much more severe symptoms that can progress into pneumonia. 

There is currently a low-level risk in the city of Long Beach, according to a press release.

“[Although] the threat of 2019-nCoV in Long Beach remains low, the health department is closely monitoring the situation and is in constant communication with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the California Department of Public Health, local hospital emergency departments, urgent care centers and local providers to obtain and provide the most updated guidance,” the release stated.