The University of West Georgia has been notified of the following situation related to COVID-19 that we wanted to make you aware of out of an abundance of caution.
A person who works as a faculty member in the College of Education has self-reported a positive COVID-19 test. This faculty member was last on campus March 11, 2020. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) will follow its protocol in contacting people with whom this individual has been in contact as appropriate.
The overall risk of COVID-19 to students, faculty, and staff at UWG remains low. Health officials are taking precautionary measures to quickly identify cases of COVID-19, take appropriate public health action to reduce its spread, and protect the general public in identifying potential contacts. As a reminder, UWG has canceled all on-campus instruction and events through the end of the spring semester.
For members of the UWG community, the best prevention measures for any respiratory virus, including COVID-19, are:Wash your hands often with soap and warm 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.
While we understand the concerns and fear around COVID-19, it is extremely important to stay calm and maintain a close eye on your health and any symptoms that may arise. The symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Most cases of COVID-19 are mild with symptoms similar to a cold.
In addition, if you have recently traveled to areas where there are ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 and develop a fever with cough and shortness of breath within 14 days of your travel, or if you have had contact with someone who is suspected to have COVID-19, stay home and call your healthcare provider or local health department right away. Be sure to call before going to a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
For accurate and reliable information about COVID-19, log on to dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.
*Image from Google Street View
