05
PLAN
03.12.20
DNNews
Continued from Page 1 “I provide this guidance to our campus community in order to help slow and mitigate the spread of COVID-19,” Mearns said. “We understand these steps will cause significant disruption, but we must act in a responsible manner consistent with our University values.” As of March 11, there were more than 125,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 4,600 deaths and 67,000 recoveries due to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide, according to data from the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. In the United States, there are more than 1,200 confirmed cases, 36 total deaths and eight recoveries. The Indiana State Department of Health has conducted 43 total tests as of March 10 — 10 of which tested positive for the virus. Zero deaths have been reported in Indiana as of March 10, the most-recent date for which numbers were available. In Avon, Indiana, one elementary school student tested positive for the virus, and a second student is displaying symptoms. Avon Community Schools Corporation decided to close all Avon schools until March 20, according to the school corporation’s website. Following their spring breaks, Indiana University (IU), Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame will suspend all classroom teaching. IU’s suspension of classroom teaching will last through April 6 for all its campuses, Purdue’s suspension will potentially last through the end of the semester and Notre Dame will have no form of classroom teaching the week of March 15, followed by virtual or alternative instruction until April 13. Jagdish Khubchandani, associate chair and professor of health science, said in an email prior to the March 11 email the university’s decision to suspend travel was appropriate given the medical and legal issues surrounding such programs and the growing threat of coronavirus worldwide. “I understand the hassle. I had to cancel many of my obligations, but right now, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands with soap and water as the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, but the latter does not get ride of all types of germs. JADEN WHITEMAN, DN ILLUSTRATION cure,” Khubchandani said. For now, he said, the Ball State community “should not be worried but certainly be more vigilant about the virus affecting campus.” “Despite that, I must say that faculty and students should watch out for personal flu-like illness and anyone they suspect could have flu-like illness,” Khubchandani said. “In such cases, ensure that this person is made aware of some similarities between seasonal flu and coronavirus and is given all support to seek healthcare. Compared to many other community avenues, our environment has a larger population that could be at risk and vigilance is a must at all levels.” Evaluating the threat posed by the coronavirus, he said, is “a tricky situation,” considering people are more likely to die from other types of diseases and accidents. “It is hard to prioritize at this point of time given the rapid spread of coronavirus across the world,” Khubchandani said. “In general, infectious disease epidemics have also started creating more fear in recent times.” He said he believes fear and panic in some populations is unwarranted, adding lack of knowledge, poor preparedness of our health systems, viral mutations,
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT YOU ARE SICK • Stay home unless seeking medical care • Separate yourself from other people and animals • Call ahead before visiting your doctor • Wear a facemask if you are sick • Cover coughs and sneezes • Wash your hands often • Aviod sharing personal items • Clean all “high-touch” surfaces daily • Monitor your symptoms Source:CDC
global spread and mass media misinformation “have made these epidemics into infodemics.” “We may not always have such troublesome exaggeration of disease events in [the] United States as long as we practice prevention and timely healthcarerelated help seeking,” he said. Ball State’s response came hours after the university posted a tweet Wednesday afternoon stating it would have a decision about classes announced within 24 hours.
This tweet left many students, like architecture major Breanna Vernon, anxious, as she was concerned why Ball State didn’t suspend classes when other universities had taken the decision earlier. The university’s decision was met with both relief and criticism online, with some arguing the university should not have canceled classes for the whole semester and concerns over regular campus events and the spring commencement. Nicholas Kruger, sophomore music media production major, said he wasn’t surprised by the announcement but only thought the university would cancel inperson classes for two or three more weeks. While he understands lecture classes can be dropped, Kruger said, activities such as choir practice are harder to do online. “There really is no way to do that online. You have to be with all the other singers and practice together,” he said. As a resident of LaFollette Complex, Kruger said several residents are both discussing whether to go home or stay on campus, with him leaning toward going home. “I’m really not sure how that’s going to look because some
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). CDC, PHOTO COURTESY people are saying, ‘Well, yeah, I’m leaving because there’s really no point in being here for things online,’” he said. “But, then others are saying, ‘Well,
I’m paying for room and board. I’m paying for the food. The food services are still open, so I’m going to stay here.’”
See PLAN, 14
o
e always r ’ e W
LUCKY at L ry ’s ow e
Mon. - F ri. 9 a.m. - 6 : 30 p.m. | Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 6 2 55 W. Kilg ore Ave | l owerysc and ies.c om
