Chancellor Judy C. Miner sent the following message via email to Foothill-De Anza district employees.
Jan. 27, 2020
Dear Colleagues,
This message concerns the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China. As we have learned from news reports, the virus causes respiratory infections and can be much more serious for elderly populations and those with respiratory conditions. You can learn more about the Wuhan novel coronavirus at the Centers for Disease Control website which stresses that this is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation.
As of January 27, the CDC reports: “Imported cases of 2019-nCoV infection in people have been detected in the U.S. No person-to-person spread has been detected with this virus at the time, and this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States.”
At this time, we have had no report of any exposure to the coronavirus anywhere in our district. However, if you do start to exhibit flu-like symptoms (runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, low energy), we encourage you to contact your healthcare provider immediately. If you do feel ill, please stay home. By reducing contact with others, you will be much less likely to spread any virus (common flu or otherwise) you have contracted.
The following habits are useful to follow to prevent the transmission of all airborne viruses:
- Wash/sanitize your hands thoroughly on a regular basis
- Always sneeze/cough into your arm or a tissue
- Don’t get too close to people in public spaces
- Don’t touch your eyes or mouth unless you have washed
We care deeply about the health and safety of our community and will update you on any new developments as we monitor this situation with local health authorities.
Sincerely,
Judy