Update: Coronavirus Case

March 16, 2020 BK LI

Yesterday, I sent out a communication informing the University community that the spouse of an employee at our Long Island Campus tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. We have since received the unfortunate news that our employee has also tested positive for the coronavirus and is under quarantine.
 
The institution is working closely with the Suffolk County Department of Health regarding this case. They recommend that any person who has directly interacted with an individual who has tested positive for the virus self-isolate for a period of 14 days. Further, the CDC recommends the following if you may have been exposed to COVID-19:

●    If you are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and develop symptoms of COVID-19, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms and your exposure. They will decide whether you need to be tested, but keep in mind that there is no treatment for COVID-19 and people who are mildly ill are able to isolate at home.
●    If you are a resident in a community where there is ongoing spread of COVID-19 and you develop COVID-19 symptoms, call your healthcare provider and tell them about your symptoms. They will decide whether you need to be tested, but keep in mind that there is no treatment for COVID-19 and people who are mildly ill are able to isolate at home.
●    For people who are ill with COVID-19, but are not sick enough to be hospitalized, please follow CDC guidance on how to reduce the risk of spreading your illness to others. People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness.

As a reminder, symptoms of human coronaviruses commonly cause mild-to-moderate illness in people. At this time, the CDC believes symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Symptoms may include, but are not limited to: cough, shortness of breath and fever. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and think you have been exposed to COVID-19, please seek medical attention immediately. 

Finally, as mentioned in my previous communication, the institution has already taken preemptive measures to close our two campuses and all of our off-site facilities for the next two weeks to limit the spread of the virus. During this time, all St. Joseph's locations, on- and off-campus, will be sanitized and disinfected.

I ask that you please keep our employee and his family in your thoughts and prayers. While I know that we may continue to be faced with additional challenges in the coming days, weeks and even months, I know that the St. Joseph's community will pull together, as it always does, to support one another as we navigate these trying times.