The University of Utah has put together a coronavirus working group to track the risk of this disease to our campus community. The group is working in concert with the Salt Lake County Health Department and the Utah Department of Health to make plans on how to respond if and when coronavirus is detected in Utah. To date, the virus has not been confirmed in Utah.

A full FAQ is available on our Corona Central @theU site but here are the key points you should know:

Travel

Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the university recommends non-essential travel to China be canceled or rescheduled. See FAQ below for details.

Protecting yourself

You can protect yourself from coronavirus the same way you protect yourself from other viruses with a few common-sense practices.

• Wash your hands thoroughly and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Make sure you are cleaning between your fingers and under your nails. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• 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.

Student housing

Officials in Housing and Residential Education and University Student Apartments have protocols in place for flu/cold season including wiping down common area flat surfaces and door handles and setting aside rooms specifically for sick students to help prevent the spread of illness. See the full FAQ for details.

Important note

If the coronavirus is discovered in Utah, local county health departments in coordination with the state health department take the lead on tracking patients and those they have come in contact with to help prevent the spread of the virus.