March 6, 2020
Dear parents and families,
I am writing to share more updates from Washington University in St. Louis on COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). We continue to work to support our students’ wellness and safety regarding this issue. The email below was sent out to students late yesterday regarding spring break and other COVID-19-related information.
We will continue to keep you updated as timely information arises related to COVID-19 and it’s impact on the Washington University community. If you have specific questions about the health or safety of your student that are not addressed in the email, please feel free to contact my office or our Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Support and Wellness, Dr. Kirk Dougher, at k.dougher@wustl.edu.
Sincerely,
Lori. S. White
March 5, 2020
Dear Danforth Campus students,
With spring break quickly approaching, we know many of you likely have travel plans. As the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to develop, and with your health and safety as our highest priority, we would like to strongly encourage you to think carefully about the risks of traveling internationally and to other cities and states where there is widespread transmission of COVID-19 at this time. The situation is changing quickly, and while a number of countries have imposed restrictions on international travel as of today, the list of locations that are impacted could change at any time. Locations that are not included today, could very well have restrictions in place tomorrow, creating difficulties as you travel and ultimately return to St. Louis. Your ability to return to campus and complete your academic program could be impacted as well.
We’ll continue to share updates and new information on the university’s COVID-19 information page, and you also can check the CDC website for the latest developments.
Please carefully consider whether now is a good time to travel, in particular to international destinations and other locations where COVID-19 is widespread. Not only may there be a risk to your personal health, but we all need to do our part to help slow or contain the spread of this virus, especially for members of our community who are at an elevated risk of serious medical issues.
We appreciate your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
Cheri LeBlanc, MD
Executive Director, Habif Health and Wellness Center
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Steven J. Lawrence, MD, MSc, FIDSA
Assistant Dean for Curriculum and Clinical Sciences, Office of Medical Student Education
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases