January 24, 2020
Dear Members of the Loomis Chaffee community,
It is not unusual during the deep of winter for us to see a heightened level of illness on campus. This January we are seeing our share of coughs and runny noses, but of more concern is the diagnosis on the Island of more serious illness such as the flu and mononucleosis. This is a particularly bad year for both. We would like to enlist your help in keeping our community as healthy as possible.
We are also aware of increasing concerns around the coronavirus (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/novel-coronavirus-wuhan-china). According to the World Health Organization, coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The particular strain of coronavirus currently in the news originated in Wuhan, China; as of today, two confirmed cases have been reported in the United States. While there appears to be no immediate risk to our campus, the administration will continue to monitor developments and recommendations set forth by the CDC. At this time, we have added recent travel screening questions for any student that presents with symptoms of fever and cough and will continue our contact with local health authorities about any recommendations.
We will continue to monitor the health and wellness of the Loomis community and will be in touch if we see any concerning trends. Thank you for your partnership!
Kendra Wiesel, Director of the Health Center Mary Liscinsky, Dean of Student Life
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