2.20.20: Health and Wellness Center Campus Update

The university senior leadership and medical professionals in the Health and Wellness Center continue to monitor the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak and to provide updates.

Dear Members of the Campus Community,

The university senior leadership and medical professionals in the Health and Wellness Center continue to monitor the COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) outbreak and to provide updates.

As of this date and time, there are NO SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED CASES OF COVID-19 (2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS) on our campus.

We continue to monitor the evolving information from the CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) on COVID-19 and remain in communication with the PA DOH, the Bethlehem Health Bureau, and local healthcare entities, and in consultation with health experts, regarding
recommendations for the safety of our campus community. The CDC continues to believe and report that the immediate risk of this new virus to the American public is low.

As a reminder, on February 11, The World Health Organization (WHO) changed the name of 2019-nCov to COVID-19 so that it would not refer to any specific geographical location, animal, or group of people. As shared in an earlier message, at Lehigh we embrace that we live in a global community.
Disease knows no borders (https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/whatwedo/global.htm) and has no preference for nationality. We must continue to practice our value as an equitable community while we work together to keep our campus safe and healthy.

We respect the privacy rights of our students, faculty, staff, and community members and will continue to balance our responsibilities under the privacy laws and the public health laws as we manage this ongoing situation. As noted in previous updates, any student who comes to the
Health and Wellness Center with fever and respiratory symptoms, in addition to routine medical assessment, is also evaluated regarding recent travel history, possible contacts with a person with known or suspected COVID-19, and health status, as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

As noted, we understand that frustration and apprehension are natural responses to new and evolving health events such as these, and we continue to be grateful for the community's remarkable understanding and cooperation as we respond to the evolving health guidance and information surrounding the outbreak. We also want to acknowledge that this is also a uniquely difficult time for our community members who may be worried about friends and family who live in or near regions affected. Our thoughts continue to be with them.

Although COVID-19 updates continue to dominate the news, we want to remind our community that we are seeing a significant number of students with the flu. Please remember to take precautions to prevent the spread of flu, including getting a yearly flu shot, and practicing good hand hygiene.
Students who have not received the flu shot yet this season can take advantage of the free flu shots provided by our Health and Wellness Center (https://studentaffairs.lehigh.edu/content/health-wellness-center). If you are sick, please stay home and contact your professors to ensure your ability to keep up with your coursework (read the message sent to faculty on February 7:
https://www2.lehigh.edu/news/2720-novel-coronavirus-and-student-absences-from-class).

Visit the website to read the latest updates and to find additional resources, including answers to frequently asked questions: https://www2.lehigh.edu/news/updates-on-novel-coronavirus.

The Health and Wellness Center is open:
Monday - Thursday, 8:15 am - 4:00 pm and Friday, 9:15 am - 4:00 pm.

There are two ways to make appointments at Lehigh's Health & Wellness
Center:

  1. Make an online appointment with one of the Health and Wellness Center nurses online at least one hour and up to one week in advance by clicking on the patient portal and following the simple instructions. Appointments can be made through the portal 24/7/365 and is quick, simple, and convenient. If students require treatment by one of our physicians or nurse practitioners, that will be arranged at the time of the nursing appointment. Please call us if you are unable to find an online appointment, especially if your concern is of an urgent nature.
  2. Call 610-758-3870 during office hours to schedule an appointment. Please be advised we are an appointment-based office. We prioritize walk-ins with emergent issues and will do our best to accommodate you in a timely manner.

After-hours and on weekends, please call 610-758-3870 to talk with the HWC clinician-on-call. The Counseling Center is also available for support and can be reached at 610-758-3880, Mon. - Fri. 8am-5pm. Overnight on-call crisis services are also available and students can be connected to a
clinician calling this same number.

Sincerely,

Lehigh University

Health and Wellness Center Team