It's always best to be prepared. In that spirit, UTMB is working to make sure we do our part in combating the potential spread of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV that originated in China and has been making headlines for the past few weeks.
While there are no known cases of this particular coronavirus in Texas as of Jan. 28, 2020, UTMB is taking some actions out of an abundance of caution to protect our patients, students, faculty and staff.
We will begin screening patients for recent travel to China and symptoms associated with this virus, such as fever, cough or sore throat. If you provide direct patient care, please check with your supervisor for details about screening, treatment and documentation.
Business Operations and Facilities and the Health System are working to identify areas at all UTMB locations and campuses that could be used to temporarily isolate a patient who has been identified as someone who may have contracted the virus.
We are also making sure that we have an ample supply of personal protection equipment for our staff who may be screening and treating patients. And, we will continue to monitor the situation to determine whether additional measures might be needed in the future. At this time, our standard infection control protocols should be practiced without fail.
In addition to these precautions in our clinical enterprise, Human Resources/Employee Health will work with managers to determine if any faculty or staff have recently traveled to China (or other endemic areas that might be defined by the CDC). This is for general screening purposes only. Any related instructions for individual employees would be handled on a case-by-case basis. Students who have recently traveled to the endemic area should contact Student Health.
It is important for us all to remember that we are in the middle of cold and flu season, so respiratory infections caused by a variety of viruses are common right now. Infection with 2019-nCoV specifically can be determined only through a particular laboratory test, as of today available only at the CDC in Atlanta. Please rely on information about the novel coronavirus only from reputable sources, such as the CDC, the World Health Organization, and county and state health departments. To see the latest from the Texas Department of State Health Services, visit https://www.dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus/.
Your safety and that of our patients are foremost. As always, we urge every member of the UTMB community—whether in direct patient care or other roles—to practice good hand hygiene, effectively cover coughs and sneezes, stay home from school or work if you are ill, and consult your health care provider if you are concerned about symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat or difficulty breathing.
UTMB is uniquely prepared to deal with any possible cases of the novel coronavirus that might present to us in the future. And our researchers are collaborating nationally and internationally to address this emerging disease. Thank you for doing your part to keep our university and our communities safe and healthy.
Thank you,
Dr. Ben G. Raimer
President ad interim