The COVID-19 coronavirus. (Courtesy Center for Disease Control)
Six people affiliated with the University of Colorado have now been tested for the COVID-19 coronavirus, four of which came back negative with two pending. CU President Mark Kennedy said in a statement Monday that he has had ongoing conversations with CU’s four campus chancellors to develop a plan to mitigate the disease as the number of confirmed cases in Colorado climbs to 12.
According to Ken McConnellogue, CU vice president for communication, four of the six cases were treated on the CU Boulder campus, including three which were negative.
Kennedy said while no cases have been confirmed on any CU campus it would be “irresponsible” if the university did not prepare for what he called the “likely event” that the virus could reach CU’s campuses. CU Boulder recently announced the creation of an emergency operations team as the campus braces for potential COVID-19 cases.
Although the virus has not impacted classes thus far, Kennedy said in his statement that CU is planning accordingly for possible disruptions to academic endeavors with a “contingency plan” aimed at continuing teaching and research activities in the event of a campus closure.
McConnellogue said that while “we are not near the point” of canceling classes and essentially closing down CU’s campuses, it is still “one of the possibilities being discussed.”
“Obviously, it is a fluid situation that we are monitoring closely,” he said.
In the United States, more than 650 cases have been confirmed with 26 deaths as of Monday. Globally, confirmed cases have passed 100,000 with over 4,000 deaths.
Symptoms of the virus include a fever, cough, chest pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Those who believe they may be infected should call their medical provider immediately.
Contact Breaking News Editor Noelle Videon at noelle.videon@colorado.edu.
