The following letter was issued to the CSUMB campus community on January 30, 2020.

Your health is a critical factor in your success at CSU Monterey Bay. We are monitoring the outbreak of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. Some isolated cases are reported in the United States, including the State of California. There are no confirmed cases in the CSUMB service area. Although the risk of infection with the virus is low for the average Californian, the Monterey County Health Department urges schools to take steps now to be able to identify, isolate and report individuals potentially ill with the virus.

To reduce the potential for illness, The California State University Chancellor’s Office issued a travel ban today for Hubei Province, China, and restricted all travel to the Peoples’ Republic of China to essential travel only for university-sponsored trips.

If you have symptoms of influenza-like illness or other respiratory infections, please stay at home and do not come to campus for school or work. Also, contact your healthcare provider to seek medical attention as soon as you are able.

Flu and other respiratory illnesses spread when someone with the illness coughs or sneezes, and another person inhales respiratory droplets or touches a contaminated surface such as a desk, door handle or keyboard and then touches their eyes, nose or mouth.

Take these general precautions to avoid infection and stay healthy:

• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or sleeve. When you use a tissue, immediately put it in the trash.
• Get a flu shot – it’s not too late – available at most pharmacies and the Campus Health Center.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Do not share cups, straws or anything else you put in your mouth.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Please keep your hands clean and wash them frequently with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer when you cannot wash your hands.

CSUMB students may seek medical attention from the Campus Health Center. If you are feeling unwell (fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, headache, sore throat or nasal congestion) and you have traveled to Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China during the month of January, please wear a face mask and notify a member of the Campus Health Center team by calling 831-582-3965. Please call ahead before visiting the Campus Health Center, a doctor’s office, an urgent care center, or a hospital emergency room.

Additional information about the seasonal flu, including details about symptoms and prevention, is available via the Campus Health Center’s Flu Information webpage. Current information about the coronavirus is available on the CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan, China website.