Message to university community regarding coronavirus

January 30, 2020

Dear colleagues,

CU Denver | Anschutz staff are actively monitoring the outbreak of the respiratory illness caused by 2019-nCov, the new coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China.

At this time, there are no reports of coronavirus cases on our campuses, and there are no confirmed cases in Colorado.

Nevertheless, the university is taking proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of our community, in accordance with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

According to infection control experts, the risk of 2019-nCoV transmission remains low in the United States. However, the situation is rapidly evolving. We encourage you to check the websites of the CDC, the U.S. Department of State, and International SOS (membership number 11BCAS000006) for the latest developments and guidance. The CDC site has information on symptoms, prevention and treatment.

CU Anschutz faculty who study coronaviruses (and who were recently cited on Colorado Public Radio and CBS4) say the best way to protect yourself is to wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer, clean surfaces like your phone or desk, and cough or sneeze into a tissue or the crook of your arm.

Travel to China

The U.S. Department of State has raised its travel advisory for China to “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” and the CDC’s health alert warning is now “Level 3: Avoid Nonessential Travel.” Accordingly, China has been added to the university’s high-risk destination list.

Student travel: These escalations have prompted the university to suspend student travel to China. Students still wanting to go to China for academic purposes may submit a travel appeal with guidance from the Office of Global Education (OGE).

Employee travel: With China’s elevation to the high-risk destination list, employee travel requests to China will need provost approval. (School of Medicine faculty will also need dean’s approval.) Employees should follow regular university policy on pre-approval for international travel. Questions about employee travel may be directed to Associate Director of International Operations Joanne Wambeke.

We’re in touch with our faculty and staff who are currently in China and will monitor the situation to determine any appropriate action.

It’s important for the university to be prepared for any potential emergency, which is why we are taking precautionary measures to ensure the well-being of our community. We will keep you apprised of any critical updates.

Sincerely,

Don Elliman
Chancellor, CU Anschutz Medical Campus

Dorothy Horrell
Chancellor, CU Denver