Penn State suspends student travel to China amid coronavirus outbreak
Penn State restricted university-affiliated international travel to China for students and urged faculty to reconsider their plans until the coronavirus is contained, the university announced Thursday.
Any student who hopes to pursue university-affiliated travel to China can submit a restricted travel petition to be reviewed for possible approval by the International Restricted Travel Committee and provost.
“The safety of our students and employees traveling overseas is our number one priority,” Penn State global safety analyst Joe Thurston said Thursday in a statement.
The novel respiratory illness was first identified in China last month and has spread to more than 22 countries across four continents. No cases have been identified in Pennsylvania by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared a global emergency and the State Department warned travelers to avoid flying to China altogether.
The university has a “small number” of faculty and staff traveling in China, Thurston said. There are no records of planned faculty or staff trips, or student programming in China through May, he said.
The global safety office has contacted those in China to update them on the latest travel advice, the university said.
“We are taking every precaution to prepare for an outbreak,” University Health Services Senior Director Robin Oliver-Veronesi said in a statement. “Coronavirus symptoms can be very similar to those of the flu, which is very active right now. So, we urge anyone with flu-like symptoms to contact their health care provider for an evaluation.”
Common coronavirus symptoms include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death, according to the CDC.
The agency, as of Tuesday, believes symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.
University Park students expressing symptoms can begin the screening process by calling 863-4463. Commonwealth campus students should contact their on-campus health services office, the university said.
Faculty and staff who have a respiratory illness with a fever or have been in China within the last two weeks are urged to contact their health care provider immediately.
This story was originally published January 31, 2020 at 10:28 AM.