Spring break is around the corner for many of West Virginia’s colleges and universities, and as some students may be looking to travel abroad, administrators are preparing courses of action to prevent a potential spread of COVID-19 on campuses upon their return.
So far in West Virginia, there have been no confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, a respiratory illness spread from person-to-person contact. As of Saturday, West Virginia — through the Department of Health and Human Resources — is verified to test in state for the coronavirus instead of sending samples to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Our team at the state public health lab has worked overtime to enable testing right here in West Virginia,” said Dr. Cathy Slemp, State Health Officer and Commissioner of the DHHR’s Bureau of Public Health in a news release. “As disease continues to spread domestically, it is essential that we have the necessary resources to serve the public health response and support our communities.”
As of Saturday, DHHR reported that five state residents have been tested for the virus. Of those, two were negative and three are pending.
While the state moves forward with testing, university leaders have been implementing measures recommended by the CDC to continue prevention efforts.
At West Virginia University, the school has canceled all planned spring break study abroad trips.
On Thursday, Marshall University enacted a 10-day travel ban on university-sponsored international travel.
“This is the first time we’ve had to do something like this,” said Tracy Smith, director of environmental health and safety at Marshall. “We thought, with the magnitude of the spread of the virus, if we can mitigate the risk, we’re going to.”
Universities like Marshall and WVU are also home to thousands of international students who may have been planning trips home for the week-long breaks. For some, that may no longer be possible.
The CDC has recommended that people cancel all nonessential trips to China, Iran, South Korea and Italy, where there is widespread, ongoing transmission of the virus. Foreign nationals traveling back to the U.S. from China and Iran will not be permitted entry into the country, according to the CDC.
Smith said administrators at Marshall are working with those in the residential and housing offices to ensure there is lodging available for students who were planning to travel but can’t, or who would prefer not to travel abroad now given the spread of the virus.
“We’re making sure they’re taken care of and that they have options if they feel they need them,” Smith said.
The university is also working with its travel office to identify students who are leaving the area. Upon their return, Smith said, the school will work to ensure any necessary precautions will be taken to ensure they are safe and healthy.
“This is all fluid at this point. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we want our students and our community to know that we’re monitoring. There is no reason to panic,” Smith said.
At WVU, administrators launched a website to update students and the community on the coronavirus. It includes information on what the virus is, what to do if you believe you’re exhibiting symptoms and, should the situation call for it, the university’s plan if the virus hits campus.
John Bolt, spokesperson for WVU, said many of the school’s international students opt to stay in West Virginia during spring break, anyway — it’s just a week long break, not a lot of time for international travel.
At the University of Charleston, officials are in a “wait and see type of mode,” said Dave Taube, spokesperson for UC. The school’s spring break was last week, so anyone that may have gone home, went.
Taube said there weren’t any students planning to travel to areas that were reporting high infection rates, though. There are study abroad trips still planned for this semester, Taube said, and those are going to remain in place unless the situation changes.
“We’re still on, but we’re monitoring the situations,” Taube said. “We do have plans in place to cancel those trips if we need to, but that is not the case at this moment.”
Officials from both Marshall and WVU have been working with those at the state DHHR to prepare for a potential spread of the virus in West Virginia and educate the public on prevention and awareness.
In Huntington, Marshall administrators are implementing parts of a plan they’ve had on the books for more than a decade, and tweaking it as need be to fit the demands of containment for the coronavirus.
They’ve already identified potential quarantine sites if the situation called for it, and a number of additional hand sanitizing stations have been added around campus, Smith said.
“We’re ahead of this, and that’s where we like to be,” Smith said.
Leah Tolliver, director of student wellness for Marshall, said they’ve also been working with the human resources department as well as faculty to implement alternative ways for students and professors to work from home if they’re sick.
“We are working to have the most on-time communication so that everyone, from faculty to staff to students knows where to go to get information if they have questions,” Tolliver said. “... We want to make sure we’re not creating undue anxiety for students, but we’re monitoring the situation and we are prepared.”
At the state level
On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Justice issued a state of preparedness proclamation in response to the potential infection of West Virginia residents.
The state, through the DHHR, also launched a website (www.coronavirus.wv.gov) to provide West Virginians with the most up-to-date information on the coronavirus in the state.
“We are actively engaged on this and have been for more than a month now, and we will continue to keep the public informed in the days ahead,” Justice said at a Wednesday news conference.
Before Saturday, West Virginia was one of five states that was not verified to use COVID-19 diagnostic tests, according to the Association of Public Health Laboratories. Then, testing for the new coronavirus was run through the CDC.
Now, in order to be tested by the state, a patient must be approved by the DHHR’s Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and assigned a risk level.
Allison Adler, spokeswoman for DHHR, said the state has one testing kit on hand that can process up to 500 patient specimens. Also, Adler said, the state expects to receive a second testing kit next week.
Adler said that next week, commercial testing should be available through the companies Quest and LabCorp.
If an individual is at high risk for the coronavirus and meets the state’s testing criteria, the expenses of testing will be covered by the state, Adler said, and those who qualify for Medicaid should “expect” to have tests covered, as well.
If someone uses a private lab for a test, they should check with the labs for payment options, which may bill the expenses to the person’s insurance.
According to the CDC, symptoms for the illness can include a cough, difficulty breathing and a fever. Before seeking medical care, individuals who believe they may be infected should contact their health care provider and tell them about any recent travel or contact with people who have traveled to places with high infection rates for the coronavirus.
From there, according to the CDC, doctors should work with the potential patient and their local health department to determine if testing is needed.
Elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems are more at risk for contracting the coronavirus and suffering its most serious symptoms, per the CDC.
The best way to prevent the spread of the illness is to practice good hygiene. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, for at least 20 seconds.
Contact your local health department for any questions regarding the coronavirus or its spread.
