March 1st, 2020 by pio@shoreline.edu
Dear Student,
You have likely heard about a number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in King and Snohomish Counties, including the death of two individuals in King County. The health and well-being of our campus community is important. As this public health situation continues to develop, the College is providing as much updated information to you as possible to let you know what we are doing to monitor and respond.
How the College is Responding
The College’s Communicable Disease Task Force has been activated for several weeks and is closely monitoring developments and following guidance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Washington Department of Health, and Public Health – Seattle & King County. Based on current recommendations, our focus is on providing education about good health habits, ensuring the campus is prepared with appropriate supplies and resources, and establishing response plans should the outbreak become more widespread in the local community.
At this point, we are not aware of any known or suspected cases of COVID-19 on our campus, and campus remains open as usual.
Preparing Our Campus
We have ordered additional supplies, such as hand sanitizer and soap, to ensure all buildings are adequately supplied. Our custodial staff is paying additional attention to sanitation of high touchpoint areas on campus. We are in contact with any students or employees who are known to have recently returned from international travel and we are providing additional support to students living in the residence hall.
Nursing Students and Clinical Rotations
We are aware that nursing students at Lake Washington Tech have had cases of contact related to COVID-19 at one of their clinical sites. For Shoreline, all of our clinical sites have been contacted and we are maintaining vigilance to support our students and faculty in those sites to keep them safe, and ensure that if there were to be any inadvertent contacts, the students and faculty maintain themselves in a safe environment until healthy.
What Will Happen if an Outbreak Continues
The College is ready to activate various response protocols should additional measures need to be taken. Some of those scenarios could include: shifting classes and employee work to online or telecommuting options, canceling certain activities or events to minimize exposure risk, up to closing the campus for a period of time. We will continue to follow the advice of local and national health authorities and will immediately alert students and employees to any changes in College operations.
In the meantime, if you have COVID-19-related questions at Shoreline, you may contact the following individuals:
- For Student Concerns: Derek Levy, Acting Vice President of Students, Equity & Success (206-546-4544) or Yushin Wung, International Student Engagement Manager (206-546-6924).
- For Employee Concerns: Veronica Zura, Executive Director of Human Resources (206-546-7858).
Actions You Should Take Now
The most important action you can take right now is to follow basic personal health prevention measures:
- Stay home when you are sick, for your health and others.
- Know the symptoms of COVID-19: fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze; immediately throw the tissue in the trash and then wash or disinfect your hands.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (including laptops and cell phones).
Preparations if You Need to Study from Home
If students are concerned about their own personal health, we ask that you contact your instructor to update them about your health concerns. Please feel free to request options for remote access or support via online instruction if needed.
Please remember, if you become ill, we ask that you take appropriate precautions to maintain your health and the health of others.
Additional Considerations
- Prepare your home in case you become ill or the campus needs to close: Have basic food and medical supplies stocked and make plans for alternate family care arrangements in the event of other school or childcare closures.
- Be aware of stigma related to COVID-19 and stand against it. The risk of novel coronavirus is not at all connected with race, ethnicity or nationality; yet in some places the fear of the spread of the disease has resulted in incidents of bias and harassment against certain groups of people, including those of Asian heritage. As stated in Shoreline’s Community Standard, the College does not tolerate any hateful, violent, or discriminatory actions.
I know this is a stressful time and it is natural to feel worried about your own and your loved ones’ health. Please know the College is being responsive to this evolving situation and taking precautions to reduce risks for our campus community. We will continue to provide regular updates and information. Your safety, health, and well-being are our primary concern.
Thank you for your cooperation,
Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.
President
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: covid
February 5th, 2020 by pio@shoreline.edu
Winter means we’re in the thick of cold and flu season. While it’s important to take care of your health year-round, the chilly weather and this year’s novel coronavirus (2019 n-CoV) outbreak means it’s even more crucial than ever to take steps to ensure health and wellness.
Luckily, the risk of contracting the coronavirus is low and you can work to prevent it with the same measures you use to avoid contracting influenza, the common cold, and other similar viruses common this time of year.
Help prevent the spread of infections and keep yourself and others healthy by:
- Washing your hands often with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick.
- Staying home when you are sick.
- Covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash.
- Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Combine the common sense germ prevention strategies listed above with steps to promote overall health by:
- Bundling up. Protect your body when you’re outdoors by wearing a coat, hat, boots, gloves, and scarf. Keeping your body warmer helps boost your immune system.
- Getting a flu shot. Getting vaccinated can greatly increase your body’s ability to fight off or recover from the flu.
- Staying active. Promote bone and muscle health, control weight, and improve sleep patterns for an overall healthier body better able to fight off illness.
- Sleeping enough. Lack of sleep can weaken your immune system so help your body protect itself by giving it a break.
- Eating healthy. A healthy diet strengthens the immune system by providing antioxidants and vitamins your body needs to resist viruses or infections.
The College is an international community with students living both on and off-campus. With so many people sharing common spaces, it’s up to us all to help prevent the spread of disease.
If you experience any of the following symptoms and have either traveled to/from Hubei Province, mainland China, or had contact with someone who is suspected to have coronavirus, stay home and contact a health–care provider.
Coronavirus Symptoms May Include:
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Headache
- A general feeling of being unwell
Student Resources
If you have questions about campus exposure risks (including in the residence hall), have recently returned from travel in China, have interacted with someone who has traveled to China, and/or are exhibiting signs of illness, please reach out to Derek Levy, Dean of Student Support & Success (206-546-4544), or Yushin Wung, International Student Engagement Manager (206-546-6924).
Some students may also benefit from the following resources:
- Counseling Center – Health care information, community resources, and confidential mental health support
- International Education – Support for international students, including health insurance and travel questions
Find additional resources and more information about the College’s emergency preparedness plan for infectious diseases on the Safety and Security webpage.
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: covid
January 30th, 2020 by pio@shoreline.edu
Dear Student,
In light of rapid developments with the novel coronavirus (2019 n-CoV) outbreak, I wanted to provide some updated information.
While the infection risk to our campus remains low, we understand you may be feeling anxious, stressed, worried about loved ones in China, and/or have questions about how to navigate this public health concern on our campus.
How the College Is Managing this Health Risk
Shoreline Community College has a communicable disease task force and is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and the College’s communicable disease policy and procedures. The College will contact any persons who may have an increased risk and monitor their well-being. If potentially at-risk students are not exhibiting symptoms of illness, they may continue attending classes.
Do You Have Questions?
If you have questions about your exposure risk, have recently returned from travel in China, have interacted with someone who has traveled to China, and/or are exhibiting signs of illness, here are some ways to get support:
- General Questions or Concerns: Contact Derek Levy, Dean of Student Support & Success (206-546-4544), or Yushin Wung, International Student Engagement Manager (206-546-6924)
- Health Care, Mental Health Support & Community Resources: Contact the Counseling Center
- International Student Support (including health insurance questions): Contact the International Education office
Coronavirus Symptoms May Include:
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Headache
- A general feeling of being unwell
Preventive Measures
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with your elbow or a tissue when you cough or sneeze; and immediately throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Further updates will be shared with the campus community as needed.
In health,
Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.
President
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: covid
January 28th, 2020 by pio@shoreline.edu
Dear Student,
You’ve likely been hearing news reports about an outbreak of a respiratory illness called the novel coronavirus (2019–nCoV) that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, and has since expanded to several countries, with one confirmed case in Washington state.
Currently, the risk to the general public is low and there are no known or suspected cases of the coronavirus on Shoreline’s campus. The College is following the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommendations and is proactively monitoring developments to ensure the campus community’s health and safety, in alignment with the College policy on communicable disease.
Out of caution, the CDC is currently recommending that travelers avoid all non-essential travel to China. If you have recently traveled to China (within 14 days) and are having fever and respiratory symptoms (such as coughing or shortness of breath), please contact your primary care provider. Call your health care provider before arriving so they can prepare for your visit.
We would like to take this opportunity to remind all students and employees of standard recommendations to prevent the spread of infections, as influenza and similar viruses are common this time of year:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
The College will continue to share any updates about this virus with the campus as further developments arise. For the latest information, please visit the CDC’s 2019 Novel Coronavirus web page.
Wishing you a healthy and productive quarter,
Cheryl Roberts, Ed.D.
President
Posted in Announcements Tagged with: covid
