The following is a safety message for our campus community.

The University of Utah now has a public hotline—801-213-2874—for questions regarding the U’s coronavirus response including international travel, study abroad, work from home, campus visitors, student housing, protecting yourself, counseling, student or employee health, suspected exposure.

When you call, be prepared to leave a short message regarding your question or concern along with the following information:

• Your first and last name
• A phone number with the best time to reach you
• Please indicate whether this question or concern is for you or for someone else associated with the university.

A representative from the University of Utah will collect your information and respond within the next business day with further resources to help answer your question.

The University of Utah is actively monitoring the worldwide spread of the respiratory illness COVID-19 (also known as novel coronavirus) and has assembled a working group of health professionals and key campus leaders to plan and coordinate a response if the virus is detected in Utah. Real-time updates and answers to frequently asked questions can be found online at dps.utah.edu/coronavirus. Information specific to the University of Utah Asia Campus and its response to the virus is available as part of this website.

The many unknowns and uncertainties surrounding the spread of this virus drive speculation and concern. The university is committed to providing credible and timely information to our campus community and is working closely with local, state and federal public health agencies to make informed decisions and provide considered guidance.

Important information for our campus community is included here.

Travel: The university strongly recommends avoiding professional or personal travel to any country with a CDC level 3 or State Department level 4 advisory based on the novel coronavirus. These advisories change frequently and currently include China and South Korea.

Italy, Japan and Iran are also experiencing the sustained spread of the virus and travelers are encouraged to take precautions if visiting these countries.

If you are a student, faculty or staff member traveling internationally as part of a learning-abroad program or on official university business, you are encouraged to take basic precautions to prepare for potential disruptions. This includes:

• Advising your learning-abroad program staff of any independent travel. For faculty and staff traveling on official business, this includes notifying Global Risk Management at globalriskmanager@utah.edu in advance of your travel.
• Keeping cellphones fully charged and operational and checking email at least once every day.
• Traveling with all key travel documents, including your passport and insurance documents.
• Traveling with a full supply of any regular medications, regardless of how long you plan to be away. Prescription medications should be packaged in their original containers.

Specific questions regarding anticipated international travel for university-affiliated activities should be directed to Global Risk Management at globalriskmanager@utah.edu or 801-587-8888.

Protecting yourself: If the virus does appear in Utah, you can protect yourself the same way you would protect for other viruses with a few common-sense practices.

• Wash your hands thoroughly and often. Make sure you are cleaning between your fingers and under your nails.
• Avoid shaking hands, especially with those who appear to be ill.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as much as possible.
• Disinfect shared surfaces.
• Stay home when you are sick.

For information specific to how University of Utah Health is preparing for COVID-19, visit the Pulse intranet site.